


Thryce On Ice!

by MsLanna



Category: Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Thrawn - Timothy Zahn
Genre: F/M, ballet instructor H'sishi, cameos by everybody else - Freeform, figure skating AU, yuri on ice rip-off
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-06-07 07:11:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 45,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15213872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsLanna/pseuds/MsLanna
Summary: After a crushing defeat in the Coruscant Grand Prix Final, Arihnda Pryce loses her partner and also her trainer and develops mixed feelings about ice skating. She returns to Lothal to help her parents with the family mine, but that has deteriorated into a very differnet business in the 5 years she was away.  Arihnda visits the local ice rink and perfectly mimics the advanced skating routine performed by her idol and current ice dancing champion Thrawn. (Well, perfect if you lack a partner, that is.) When the secretly recorded footage of her performance is uploaded to the holonet, it goes viral and catches Thrawns's attention.Shenenigans ensue, so will romance.Expect bad descriptions of ice dancing, lazy stealing the original plot, fewer side characters and strange ice dancing couples due to the lack of women in SW in general.If you have not watched Yuri On Ice yet please note that you can only enjoy the Big Reveal (tm) once; either here or in the anime. Chose wisely.Idea spawned by the infamous Thryce discord.Also, fuck it, I wrote the porn so it will go in here somewhere!





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ap_trash_compactor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ap_trash_compactor/gifts).



This was the worst Grand prix Finale Reception ever. Even worse than the one that cost her her then partner Renking. Ghadi that dirty little gdan. If she ever got her hands on him. Oh well, at least she had been on a B, okay C-class party and Champion Thrawn had been nowhere in sight. So this was much worse. Because she had not just lost her partner again, but also in public with everybody watching. With – _him_ watching.

Arihnda looked around the reception. It was shock full with the classy and rising athletes of the Empire. And all had seen – their disastrous performance first and Ottlis dropping her afterwards. She emptied her champagne flute and grabbed the next. What was the worst that could happen? Karaoke? It was unlikely the current champion Thrawn would consider that worse than her current – situation.

And she could not sing at all, so that was that. Arihnda gulped down the drink without tasting much. She liked the sparkling on her tongue and against the roof of her mouth. Something going right at least.

But in the overall theatre of Imperial sports she was done for. To think she had once tried to imitate Thrawn. Laughable. Pathetic. What he had to be to thinking now? She looked to the other side of the room where he was deep in conversation with his trainer Yularen.

Rumour had it that his partner NAtasi Daala was going pro next season, doing back flips and all that stuff. He might just join her. They were an amazing couple and he was sure good enough. Arihnda sighed.

Her chance to ever approach Thrawn as somewhat of an equal had passed. Even its tail lights had long gone. With another sigh she peered into her almost empty glass. Maybe it was time to quit figure skating. Return to Lothal and actually be the clerk in the family business her parents had expected once. Once – before Coruscant lights went to her head like spice, as heady and addictive.

Arihnda downed the rest of the champagne, looking for a refill. Already things were looking up. So that had been a good decision, right? She smiled. She would turn this around somehow. And she had said goodbye to dreams before. Thrawn would not be the first, nor would he be the last.

She turned towards the bar. The night was young and the champagne fountain was full. So be it.


	2. Easy as Defeat – The Ascension Week of Tears

Coming home was difficult. Arihnda had not been back in five years and much had changed. Not only herself as she had slowly become a professional figure skater and then not. The Coruscant Grand Prix had only been the beginning. She had not found her feet after it, losing one competition after the next.

It was unsurprising. She had not had much time to train with her new partner. It showed. Quick Step was called Quick Step for a reason. They lost. They even missed being chosen as _back up_ for the Four Sector Championships. And then, he had decided not even to finish the season and go skate with somebody else as well. It was like a curse. Still nothing hurt as much as the Grand Prix Finale.

It was her own fault, of course. Losing in itself was bad enough but she had to compound it. The lonely disaster of the Coruscant Reception and then when she was almost through with the whole thing, walking towards he gate at the space port, Thrawn had caught up with her.

She hadn't understood it back then, she didn't understand it now. There was absolutely no reason to call her and smile. Yes, she might have been staring, that was not her fault. He was talking to Eli Vanto, the junior champion. He would join the seniors next season. Well, that at least was none of her worries. She would not be competing again.

Thrawn had looked up, seen her stare and smiled, asked her to come over for a commemorative picture. With a smile. It was stumping. And, being her usual self, Arihnda had refused. Without a word, she had turned and left him standing, clinging to the illusion that he had looked sad about it. Everybody needed a dream to cling to. A dream she could have had a commemorative photo off, if she wasn't such an idiot.

Arihnda shook the thought away. It was too late now. Her career was over and she was back home. Lothal looked as it always had - rural. The cities and industrial centres were few and far between. And the economy didn't look good. Her father had told her about the steady decline in demand for their minerals.

But mum had had an idea and since Arihnda had heard nothing more about selling the mine or closing it down, it had probably worked. She took a step into the space port, the door to the landing pad hissing shut angrily behind her. So this was it. First day of the rest of her life.

"Arihnda!" Juahir shouted loud enough to be heard in Coruscant and didn't stop her approach until she almost ran Arihnda over. The thing that stopped her from toppling was Juahir holding on to her like a clamp, trying to jump up and down in her excitement anyway. "You're finally back!"

"Yeah, I'm back." Arihnda's enthusiasm could not keep up with that of her best friend at all. "I'm back. Thanks for collecting me."

"Of course I would!" Juahir grabbed one of Arihnda's bags and began to push her towards the exit. "We're all so happy you finally made it. And you parents are so busy right now. Of course I'd get you. We all cheered for you even when things started to look bad. This was a really bad season. I'm sure the next one…"

Arihnda let her friend babble away. Next season. Yeah sure. She was just here for a little mental cleaning and recharging. Lugging her bag into the speeder she sat down glancing at Juahir. Her friend looked good, happy. Marrying and having kids seemed to work out for some people, it seemed.

"How's Driller?" Arihnda asked just to get her off the topic of ice dancing.

"Fine, he's looking after the kids right now, always a great help. At the ice rink too. You want to go now? No, of course not," Juahir corrected herself. "You want to see your parents first. It's amazing what they did with the place. You won't believe your eyes!"

Arihnda did not believe her eyes. The mine was – gone. Only not really. The head towers and all were still there. But the buildings before it had changed, changed very much. The first thing that she noticed, because it was in neon and blinking incessantly was a new sign.

"Pryce Mine-ral Spa?" She read out loud. Was that her mum's great idea? Arihnda looked at Juahir.

"It is the place to visit in the whole sector right now," Juahir replied. "It's always booked out and your father thinks about expanding, actually turning some of the mine shafts into pools."

So much for adminning a mine. Arihnda didn't know the first thing about the hotel sector apart from staying in places for competitions. And maybe emptying the mini bar with Ottlis once or twice. But that was a problem for another day. First she would have to face her family. "Thank you, Juahir."

"Say hi for me," Juahir replied. "And come over to the ice rink soon, yes? We have a lot to catch up on and some skating, just you and me, like old times, yes?"

"Promise." Arihnda didn't know how she would keep that promise, but Juahir's enthusiasm was almost catching. She smiled. "Give my love to Driller and the kids."

Facing her family was not as difficult as anticipated. As soon as Arihnda stepped through the door a dance unfolded around her that put her in the middle of all attention and people. She was hugged, shown around, sat down at the beast seat in the new dining room and treated to everything she might once upon a time have called her favourite food.

Her mother was glowing, radiant in her happiness and her father beaming with pride as if she had just won the Coruscant Grand Prix instead of losing her career. Their unwavering faith in her was painful. Arihnda hurt only thinking about having to break her failure to them.

It seemed to be generally accepted that she needed some time off after this horribly bad season and of course family and home would heal all wounds. She played along, not having the heart to tell them. There was always another day.

Arihnda went to the ice rink, skating with Juahir for old times sake. It was surprisingly fun. No pressure, just the two of them goofing around, laughing and talking about their lives. Sometimes Alex, Lutz, and Loop came to play as well. They were six already and not bad on skates themselves. It reconciled Arihnda somewhat with ice skating.

But only as a private joy to be shared with friends. The thought to go out on the ice professionally again, to have the world scrutinise her and take her apart – Arihnda shuddered at that thought.

Unfortunately, she found nothing that grounded her on Lothal either. She helped out in her parents' new spa, but they preferred her to make use of it instead. It was nice. The hot water and slight smell of stone she associated with the underground shafts.

As time went on, her parents urged her to spend more time at the ice rink, find her feet and enthusiasm again. Sometimes Arihnda acquiesced, but often ended up just standing at the side watching the others.

 _Just one more day_ , Arihnda told herself. One more day and she'd tell everybody. Tell them she did not intend to return to ice dancing again. Not ever. But the Alderaanian Trophy was on right now and Thrawn was still killing it with Daala. So she had not changed to the professionals as yet.

Watching them hurt. Arihnda took a deep breath. She remembered their last season's free dance. She had been skating it in her free time. It was beautiful, heart wrenching, and rather impossible to skate alone. She had replaced some of the lifts with simple jumps. It was easy enough if you didn't get rated on their execution.

But of course it was something else entirely to have Mitth'raw'nuruodo lift you as if you weighed nothing. Arihnda was sure he could have carried Natasi through the whole free dance. Look at those arms. Or better, don't.

But how could you not watch? They were impossibly in sync on the step combinations and there he went, swinging her around in a sweeping circle. Daala slipped out of his grip and upright in one fluid movement.

Arihnda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What was the use? She got up, ignored the confused looks and left. She was half-way down the street when she realised that she needed a place to go as well. Running, always running. She needed to stop that.

After meandering through Capital City for a while, she found herself walking toward the ice rink. Just once more. Arihnda closed her eyes. Once more time and tomorrow she would tell everybody that she would not return.

The doors were closed but not locked when Arihnda arrived. Inside Juahir was putting back the last skates onto the racks.

"We're closed," she called in Arihnda’s direction. But when she realised who had arrived, she smiled. "You can skate, of course. Some time on the ice alone. You'll need the space to train properly, don't you?"

One more day, Arihnda promised herself. Only one more day. And tomorrow, all the pain in the world. "Thank you."

The rink was light dimly, but when she entered, Juahir put on all lights again. The silence was eerie. There were no spectators, nobody. Arihnda walked to the edge of the ice and looked at it for while before putting on the skates. The first steps were shaky as if they knew they are the beginning of the end.

But it became easier, the ice flew away under her blades, the whole rink hers to fill. Arihnda couldn't stop smiling. If she did, she knew she'd break into tears. Slowly, she fell into a familiar rhythm. If this was to be the last time, she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

Unthinking, Arihnda lay down on the ice, music playing inside her head and a phantom hand reaching to lift her up. This was what she had wanted. Once upon a time. It didn't matter she was doing the programme on her own. There was no ice skater worth his skates wanting to be her partner ever again. But alone would keep her safe from disappointment.

What had she been thinking? Arihnda Pryce from Lothal, taking the Empire's ice skating elite out one by one. Laughable. And still. The choreography settled over her, calming her soul. She knew it by heart. She could feel the figure of Thrawn skating his part. It was a perfect harmony. A dream. With a smile Arihnda glided back onto the ice and into the routine.

She did have to improvise for the lifts but that was alright. Still it was a jaded pleasure and painful when you knew just where the lifts were supposed to be but were not. The tears tickled but didn't matter. This was her life now. Her decision.

Her arms rose in invitation, rejection and despair. It was not fair that her career should have been quenched in the beginning. But it was what it was. She had worked hard for years to get her chance and she had squandered it.

Arihnda came to a trembling halt crouched on the ice, looking at a partner who was not there. She hugged her knees, balancing precariously. It was all her fault; had to be. And in a bit she would forget. Oh yes, she would. She had made painfully sure of that, refusing to even pose with Thrawn for one picture. Stars knew what had ridden him to ask for that.

It had been her pride, probably, and wounded pride and her own damned stupidity. Arihnda sat down on the ice awkwardly. But all rolled into one had made her refuse the one opportunity she had had to immortalise her one and only meeting with Mitth'raw'nuruodo, ice dancing champion of this year and the years before.

Arihnda took a deep breath. It didn't matter. It was all behind her now. She looked over the empty ice rink again. This was it. And tomorrow the world would know.

 

* * *

 

It was too early, she hadn't had any caf and Juahir was babbling without pause. Arihnda wondered who had let her in at this hour and why Juahir considered it acceptable to squat on her bed, talking like a waterfall.

"Juahir-"

"Yes, yes I know. I am so sorry. I can't tell you how sorry I am. It was the kids, I swear by the stars, you know what kind of pranks they get up to that age-"

"Juahir." Arihnda put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "What the hell is this about?"

"Well." Juahir suddenly became very still. Almost reluctantly she pushed a pad at Arihnda.

Arihnda took it and looked at the display. It was just one of those social platforms, she really hadn't had any time for those. A video was streaming and if she read the numbers right, it was a very popular video. It looked somewhat familiar, too.

Her throat constricted. So it had finally happened. Somebody had taken all her falls and missteps and edited them into one hilarious vid with unacceptable music overlaid. She swallowed and forced herself to look closer.

Well, it was her, but she sure was not keeling over. Instead she was doing quite well, it looked good? It looked – wrong? It took Arihnda another moment to find the fault with the vid. She was on the ice on her own. No Ottlis, no no-one. Only she, dancing by herself in a routine that was meant for two. Heat rushed into her cheeks as she looked up.

"I am sorry, Ari," Juahir was contrite. "I didn't think the kids were still up. They recorded it and then uploaded it. On my account. How did they ever get the password for tha- anyway. I am sorry."

Arihnda looked back at the pad. The vid had millions of hits. A bucket load of comments too, but she didn't dare glance at them. Well. Now this was unfortunate. People would be difficult to convince she wanted to stop with that floating through the holonet. Maybe things would calm down again. The season had just ended. There was a chance that by the start of the next season nobody remembered.

The hit counter climbed steadily, ridiculing that hope. She needed caf. Nothing would make sense without caf. Maybe not afterwards either, but that was a risk Arihnda was willing to take.

 

* * *

 

Somewhere light years away on Coruscant, the current ice dancing champion Mitth'raw'nuruodo was taking a time out. As expected, he and Natasi had won this years season of competitions easily. She had changed to the professional class, leaving him somewhat afloat. Yularen had promised that it would be easy to find a new partner, ice dancers were falling over themselves for that job.

But somehow that had no allure. Thrawn had considered becoming a trainer himself. It was something new but not too far removed from the ice. Picking up his ale, he gave in and began watching the video the holonet was going so crazy about.

It was indeed the infamous and inexplicable Arihnda Pryce ice dancing a routine on her own that was meant for two. He had to know. It was his routine from last season. It should be impossible to recreate with only one person. And yet, there she was, doing a perfect job of it.

It did not help that the song was about splitting up and the lack of a partner was painfully clear in some instances. Not as if the choreography missed half of its performers, but like choice, a painful reminder and reveal that there was only one person where there should be two.

It was a snap decision. But it was a decision.

 

* * *

 

The aftermath of the vid was less dramatic than expected. There was no crowd of reporters, no noisy fans. Just the usual mail with a few proposals strewn in. And of course, nobody knew that she was not returning to ice dancing for the coming season yet. Arihnda was sure there would be a right moment to tell her parents. She just had to wait for it. So she did.

So far, no luck. She tried to help more in the spa, pretending to practice after the ice rink closed. It worked in Juahir's end as well because she still felt guilty about the vid incident and made sure absolutely nobody was around when Arihnda arrived.

But it would not hold forever. And each day made it harder to stop pretending. So each day, Arihnda straightened up before entering the spa, ready to spill the beans. Somehow, each day something else thwarted her resolve.

Not today. She squared her shoulders, opened the door and almost took a step backwards and out again.

"Yularen?" It was a little higher in pitch than was respectable.

The old man turned around. It was indeed Yularen. Wullf Yularen. Trainer Wullf Yularen who in the last years had trained - her train of thought wrecked spectacularly. A wreck that was supported by her father entering the reception.

"Ah Arihnda, there you are," Talmoor said with a big smile. "This nice gentleman arrived this morning with his friend who's in the spa now. They were looking for you. I think-"

Arihnda didn't hear the rest. Trainer fucking Wullf Yularen on fucking Lothal, arse end of the galaxy with a friend? A _friend_???? She did not believe that. She raced through the spa, her feet slipping on the wet tiles. It couldn't slow her down.

Of course Thrawn was in the last pool, the one outside that was extra hot. He reclined as if the pool belonged to him personally, blue chest sticking out of the water like nobody's business and also the water was clear and not – oh dear. Arihnda came to a scrambled stop, feeling a flush rise at her toes. "Th- Thrawn… Why are you here?"

"Ahrinda!" Thrawn called to her. He sounded pleased, happy to see her and reached out to her with one hand. Maybe he should have stayed seated in the water.

The blush went from her ankles to her hair line with light speed. There were things women fantasised about even if the guys were real but that was no reason to confront them with the naked truth unprepared and uncalled for. Even if the truth looked amazingly splendid.

"Starting today I'm your ice dancing partner." His hand was still outstretched in her direction.

Arihnda tried her best to concentrate on that hand. It was the safest route for all involved. Yes, ice dancing was sport and you got muscles and all that, but here they were on full display, glistening with drops of hot water. Thrawn's black hair was plastered to his head and those eyes glowed like they were about to combust and burn the whole spa to the ground.

"Together we will win the Coruscant Grand Prix Finale." He winked.

Thrawn fucking winked and Arihnda was sure she had ended up in some in of weird parallel universe. There was only one appropriate reaction. Arihnda was sure her angry scream of confusion could be heard all the way to Coruscant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Free Dance I had in mind for last seasons Thrawn/Daala: [Oksana Grishuk - Evgeni Platov 1998 Olympics](https://youtu.be/UOuxoDh5Svo)


	3. Two Teams?! Drama At Prcye Mine-ral Spa

Arihnda lived in happy denial. There was no way a buck-naked Thrawn would profess to be her partner and go on to fall asleep after dinner in the spa. Of course, he was not buck naked any longer. Well under the bathrobe he was, but who would ever think like that?

Well, she might. Given the chance to watch a sleeping Thrawn on the floor of her parents' spa. Which should never have happened. And since that which must not could not be… Damned. The white bathrobe really contrasted nicely with his blue skin.

"Did you hear!" H'sishi stormed the spa, surprisingly not startling the sleeping ice dancing champion awake. "Thrawn is said to be-" She stopped short.

"He is already here," Elainye replied softly.

"Well." H'sishi sat down beside Arihnda and her mother. "It is a huge rumour in the Outer Rim. They say that watching Arihnda skate his routine on her own inspired him to come. He came here because he chose you, Ari."

Arihnda stared at the sleeping man. Now that couldn't possibly be true, could it? She had been imitating his routines since she was twelve. He had already been a champion then, only four years older but she had never been able to catch up to his level. The time she had spent envying his partners.

It wasn't even long ago. How she had hated Daala for her prowess; jealous and embarrassed of it. How could seeing a video of her skating their routine inspire him? Arihnda sighed to herself. _How did I inspire you, Thrawn?_

As if in answer to her deeply felt question, Thrawn moved. Arihnda was ready to bolt, but he simply blinked at the three women as he woke. If it bothered him, he did not show. "I am still hungry," he murmured sitting up.

With theatrical precision the robe slipped off his shoulder revealing his well-rounded muscles and hard curves outlining his clavicle.

Arihnda wished she had bolted after all. Frantic, she tried to get a lot of words out all at once, none of them making it all the way or any sense. She ascribed Thrawn's non-reaction to that to him having just woken up. Stars knew she was useless before her third caf.

"Well, what do you want?" she asked, proud of how the words had all come out in the correct order and somewhat intelligible.

Thrawn considered the question for a while. He was not looking away from her though, making Arihnda want to squirm. "As your new partner, I want to get to know you better," he finally said. "What is your favourite dish?"

"Oooh, that's Loth-rat pie," Elainye burst out before Arihnda could stop her. "She could eat it three times a day and for snacks."

"Mum!" Arihnda felt it beneath her to wail, but it was a close thing. If there was anything less glamorous and more backwater planet than Loth-rat pie, she couldn't think of it. There she went, blushing in violent embarrassment again.

Thrawn said nothing scathing, though. He raised a brow and politely requested to try the local dish.

Of course Elainye was off into the kitchen quick as lightning. Arihnda was left with Thrawn, whose bathrobe had not deigned to wander up his shoulder again. This was bad.

"You are right," Thrawn said into the silence, pulling up the bathrobe. "I should get dressed. And you can help me move my things into my room."

Room? Things? Arihnda followed him dazed, ending up before a pile of boxes that took up half the reception. There was one big suitcase standing next to them, its tag saying 'Yularen.' The rest was Thrawn's. The fuck did he bring? His whole collection of trophies? She was inclined to believe that. The boxes were heavy.

When she was done, Thrawn was already rummaging around in his suitcase, the bathrobe playing with the call of gravity. "Well." Arihnda took a deep breath and started over. "Well, I'll be-" she gave up and just waved in the general direction of the family dining room.

Why did they have to put him up in the family wing anyway? They had guest rooms now. This was a spa and hotel now. Yularen had a room in the guest wing. This was all very embarrassing. Why did her family have to adopt Thrawn like that just because, just because-

Arihnda flopped down at the table again. Because he was here to save her and her career. Because she had idolised him since she could skate which was about the same time she started walking. They expected him to be good for her and her career, so of course he was most welcome.

They didn't know the two of them had barely ever spoken. Arihnda had put Thrawn up on a pedestal so high not even a megaphone could have enabled conversation. She even had had problems talking to Daala. Not that Natasi's strong character helped any. That was a woman who knew what she wanted and took it.

Arihnda sighed and drew circles on the table top. If she had been like Natasi, taller, thinner, with that long, lush hair. Well, that was not an option. Not the taller, the thinner probably because she had not taken her diet seriously lately, but the hair. She drooped her head forwards and felt the bop tickle her cheeks. No she liked it liked that. Proof that she was herself. Proof that she was indeed not Natasi Daala, no matter how much she wished.

"Here we are!" Her mother entered the room, dragging Thrawn behind her. "You sit down here and eat. It must have been hard work moving all those boxes."

 _Yeah_ , Arihnda thought, _it had been. And actually, mum, it was me that has done the moving._ But Elainye was already gone again. So Arihnda sat, trying for once not to stare. Silence descended, but before it could become really uncomfortable, her mother returned with a steaming pie. A whole fucking pie. Impossible.

Elainye put the pie down in front of Thrawn who eyed it suspiciously to his credit. But there were no tails hanging out under the crust or snouts pushing through it. If he didn't like it, Arihnda's mood lit up, it would maybe be all hers. Now there was a thought to sate at least some of her own hungers.

Thrawn cut carefully through the crust. The smell wafting up was delicious, savoury with a hint of foreign spices and sweet undertones. Arihnda felt her mouth water. Unfortunately, after the first bite it seemed unlikely there would be any pie left for her. After a reluctant first taste, Thrawn looked up in surprise and went ahead demolishing the whole thing in one go.

"This is amazing," he said when he had finished. "I did not expect this to be so good. No wonder you like it, Arihnda."

"She puts on weight so fast from it," Elainye patted her daughter fondly. "So we only allowed her to eat some when she had won."

"Is that so?" Thrawn gave Arihnda a once over. "Did you have many of these lately?"

"Yeah, a lot," she replied unthinking.

"Why?" Thrawn leant forwards a little. "You haven’t won anything."

Well, that was true. But then she hadn't meant to return to ice dancing anyway and what was a little indulging when you were torn and miserable? Loth-rat pie had been very good for her morale.

"Well, no more Loth-rat pie for you," Thrawn continued. "If you keep growing, I won't be able to lift you any longer."

Arihnda opened her mouth for a scathing reply, but unfortunately, nothing came out. Her jaw moved, but that was the end of it. Being offended was at war with images of Thrawn and her doing lifts, like actual lifts that necessitated him to touch her. Which had to happen somewhere along the line if the routine was to have any chance of winning anything.

"Arihnda? Arihnda are you okay?" H'sishi shook her gently. "It was not a kind thing to say but-"

"Go and ask Yularen to prepare some special training units for you," Thrawn went on. "That will give me more time to perfect the free dance."

So this was really happening? Arihnda looked around. The mine was a spa. Her parents were still proud despite her failure. Juahir and H'sishi were supportive as ever. This was all unexpected enough. But Thrawn and Yularen? Definitely alternate universe. She sighed. If this was real, there was no way out of it. Her heart beat hard. If this was not really real – did that even matter?

"Okay." Arihnda got up. Getting out of the same room as bathrobed Thrawn seemed like a good idea. Also Yularen was not head-butting his way into her family. He was quite content with the room in the guest wing.

When he heard her request, Thrawn's request to be honest, but who was she to object? If she had actually trained the last weeks, actually been on the ice instead of procrastinating, things would look different. Yularen nodded and told her to get her week's training schedule the next day.

On her way back, she ran into Thrawn again.

"I was looking for you," he said, smiling, "but you were not in your room-"

"You were in my room?" Arihnda screeched. Images of four walls plastered entirely with Thrawn and partner ice dancing, or sometimes just Thrawn ice dancing and sometime the partner even obviously ripped from the poster – also stacks of magazines with them on the cover. Arihnda took a deep breath. Well, shit.

"I remembered you went to see Yularen when you didn't answer the knock," Thrawn continued. "There were a few things I wanted to talk about with you."

Arihnda only listened with one ear, calming the steam hammer in her chest. He had not been in her room. Thank the stars. She really had to take down like everything. Unthinking she followed Thrawn, realising to late that she had followed him all the way into his room.

He turned, taking her hand between his and raising it between them. "I want to know everything about you. Where do you skate? What's up on Lothal?" His fingers slowly wandered up the back of her hand, moving over her wrist.

"Is there somebody you like?" Thrawn went on. "Former boy friends?"

Arihnda tried to breathe without moving air in her lungs and failed. The ground wobbled, but Thrawn's grip on her hand was not helping. Neither was him letting go and taking her chin between his fingers instead.

"Before we start practising together," he leant forwards a little, "let's build some trust in our relationship."

The last word broke Arihnda and the spell. Yelping, she took a step backwards. Relationship? No way! Vader's arse, no way ever! She shook of his intense stare, the glowing red of his eyes leaving after images in her vision.

"Why are you leaving?" The confusion in his voice hurt. Resulting in her imagining actual hurt in it too. But if she stayed, Arihnda knew she would do something very stupid.

"Uh, no reason," Arihnda stuttered in reply. Her heart was hammering in her temples, blood sloshing around the empty space that had once housed a fully functional brain. "I – gotta go."

Her feet scrambled on the floor as she made her fastest exit as yet. Not even her flight from the ice after the Coruscant Grand Prix finale came close. She slammed the room to her door shut and leant against it. For a moment she stared at the flood of images of Thrawn on her walls. There was barely any wall left to be seen.

It would not do. It just would not. Sooner or later Thrawn would enter her room. It was a scary certainty and Arihnda was not sure where it came from. But since he had arrived, Thrawn had asserted his presence in the Pryce household as if he had always been there, as if he belonged.

A part of Arihnda envied him that certainty. There was no doubt. His accomplishments were indisputable, more than enough to earn any love and respect. And he seemed to be a nice enough person when he was not being an intrusive prick. She exhaled slowly. It would be alright. She would prove to everybody that she was worth their love as well.

The sun was not up the next morning when Arihnda jogged her first lap around the city. Getting up had been difficult and the newly bare walls didn't help. But she had slacked long enough. At least she didn't have to explain to anybody how she was quitting ice dancing any longer. Small favours. And exercising helped her think.

She needed to think. A lot. It was difficult with Thrawn around because whenever she looked at him, her brain blue-screened. But he was undeniably here, undeniably insisting on being her partner for the next season. If only she could make sense out of it, find a reason, anything.

But there was nothing. Yes, the video Juahir's kids had uploaded to the holonet. But what kind of person would make a decision based on that? Especially considering both their backgrounds?

When she returned to the spa, everybody was awake. Yularen gave her the training schedule which was little more rigid than she had anticipated. The focus on getting her constitution and stamina up to speed again was clear. But there were sessions on the ice as well, mostly in the late evenings. Like foreplay, her brain supplied unhelpfully. She pushed that thought away.

In his usual encroaching manner, Thrawn joined her for the cardio. His endurance was enviable and Arihnda found herself huffing and puffing when he was barely breaking a sweat. Talk about out of form. Ballet was easier. Thrawn was doing weight lifting and had left not without hinting at how he would need his strength. If Arihnda hadn't been red from exertion she would have blushed in embarrassment. She sure wasn't that heavy. But she was not as flexible as she had been either.

H'sishi did her best but Arihnda could see her shake her head. "Are you sure you have been training lately?" She asked.

Arihnda blushed once more. "Not really," she admitted. "I was actually considering to quit."

"You what?" H'sishi asked.

"I didn't feel like I could go on after the failures." Arihnda shrugged apologetically. "It's not an option any longer, of course."

"That explains everything except why Thrawn is here," H'sishi replied. "Maybe he needed an excuse to take a break."

"That's what I fear," Arihnda agreed. "But I want to dream…" She trailed off.

"You need to take advantage of Thrawn!" H'sishi came and took hold of her shoulders. "If there is one way for you to get back into ice dancing in time and have success, he is that chance."

Arihnda nodded. The idea to take advantage of Thrawn had occurred to her. She was not quite certain H'sishi meant the same thing, though.

Juahir was happy to leave them the ice rink after it had closed for the day. It was strange. The place was like a second home to Arihnda but with Thrawn lazily doing laps on the ice, it felt foreign. Arihnda laced up her skates. Yularen was standing a little to the side, talking to Driller. They were probably hammering out the details of the use of the ice rink. They would sure need it more often as time went on.

"Get on the ice, girl!" Yularen called in her direction. "I need to see what I have to work with."

Arihnda stepped on the ice tentatively. This was her home, her territory, her world. But it was difficult to concentrate on that, when the foreign invasion force was approaching, smiling, holding out his hand.

"Come on," Thrawn said. "Let's see how our steps sync."

When she took his hand, the world did not implode. A few steps down the ice, the world was still intact. Also the attempts of her body to implode had come up empty. Arihnda took a deep breath. She could do this. She had to. And there were fates worse than to glide over the ice at the hand of Mitth'raw'nuruodo. Now all she had to do was get their steps to sync.

 

* * *

 

 

Something that was easily worse, was the galaxy's sports journalists deciding as one that Thrawn being her new partner and even bringing his trainer to Lothal with him was news and clogging all of Capital City. She actually had to bloody a few noses to get left alone.

Thrawn had no such misgivings. When she finally reached the ice rink, he was standing on the stairs in front of it, holding his very own press conference. Arihnda was not sure about what because nothing either of them had done so far warranted the grand gestures he was using.

He was also difficult to stop. Yularen was doing his best to remove Thrawn back into the rink without resorting to brute force. Arihnda had no such qualms. Grabbing the lecturing champion by his wrist she just pulled until he could either follow or fall over. True to himself, Thrawn decided to follow.

"Thanks," Yularen growled when the doors had closed behind them.

"No problem." Arihnda kept dragging Thrawn along until they were next to the ice just in case he forgot why they were here.

"Get your skates on and onto the ice," Yularen ordered. "You wasted enough time," he added looking at Thrawn.

They didn't get that far. The doors burst open revealing the form of a young woman. She was not the tip of the journalist ice berg though. Only Eli Vanto followed her, trying to his his embarrassment under a facade of determination.

"Thrawn!" They woman shouted angrily. "What are you doing here?"

It was a good question and one Arihnda had asked herself repeatedly despite the popular answer. Maybe the lady would get a different one.

"Sabine?" Thrawn sounded surprised. "Eli? Have you decided to join us on Lothal? How splendid."

Sabine's face showed no improvement of anger issues. "Did you forget your promise, Thrawn?" She stabbed a finger in his direction. "Did you forget and just run off to train with that, that, that-" no word seemed to adequately express what Arihnda was so Sabine changed tracks. "Look how disappointed Eli is? Did you want that?"

Eli did indeed look disappointed. That was more due to his involvement in the scene than any broken promise though. He faced Thrawn bravely, trying to shake the clinging embarrassment. "You could at least have told us where you went. We had to follow the press."

"Mitth'raw'nuruodo," Yularen addressed his trainee sternly. "What have you promised to our junior champions in ice dancing? And what in the galaxy could make you forget?"

It was certainly a trick of the light that Thrawn glanced at her, Arihnda reasoned. After all he didn't even have pupils, so how could anybody know?

"He promised," Sabine said closing the distance and actually poking the current ice dancing champion in the chest aggressively, "that he would put together a routine for Eli and me if we won the junior championships. And we did win."

Arihnda stared at Thrawn. He had what? It was common knowledge that he wrote his own routines, chose his on music and pretty much only needed a trainer to keep him in line. But this?

"And you promised that Yularen would train us too," Eli added softly.

Well that certainly threw a wrench in the works. Trainer Yularen could only be in one place at a time. So either Eli and Sabine stayed as well, or-

"Wullf stays with me," Thrawn interrupted her train of thought. "And I will stay on Lothal. It is surprisingly homely. But I will make you the routine."

"That will be two you have to put together," Yularen objected. "When will you have the time?"

"Oh, Arihnda can use some more alone time training off her extra bits." Thrawn pinched her waist playfully. "And I have plenty to work with."

"What about trainer Yularen?" Sabine insisted. "How can we have a chance at winning this season when you hog him here?"

Win their first season at the seniors? Was she crazy? But Arihnda saw only lethal determination in Sabine's eyes. She meant it. And she would pull Eli with her every step on the way. Glancing at Eli, he didn't seem the type to object too much to that. He might be less pushy, but no less determined.

"A bet then," Sabine said. "Two routines, you against us. Whoever wins gets trained by Yularen."

"Deal." Thrawn didn't even bother to look at either Arihnda or Yularen for that matter. His the glow in his eyes had increased dramatically when Sabine had kept looking at Arihnda making her challenge. It was clear that she saw real chances to win this with Arihnda dragging at Thrawn like a stone.

Arihnda pressed her lips together. She would not be a stone. She would be a graceful and lithe – thing. She would get over her fear of touching Thrawn which was impeding progress immensely. She would also be in best shape ever. Thrawn's nip still burnt in her waist. Embarrassing. Too fat. Once again not enough. Hilarious when she even managed to be not enough by being too much.

She realised that Thrawn and Sabine were discussing the details of the face-off ardently. It was quite a show.

Eli leant against the barrier beside her. "He was already working on a new routine, you know," he said. "Though Natasi said she would leave, he just ignored it. Losing Natasi was unthinkable. They have been dancing together for ages and, well, you know how she is."

Arihnda made a non-committal noise.

"Thrawn always wants to surprise people," Eli went on. "Together with Natasi that was becoming increasingly difficult but he was sure he had found the routine to do it. And then she left. But I guess teaming up with you is more surprising than any routine he could ever put together. And maybe Sabina and I can have it now. It's probably beyond you."

It wasn't said with any vitriol or anger. Just a fact. Something everybody knew. That made it hurt even more.

 

* * *

 

Two days of intense training later, they all met in the ice rink again. Sabine and Eli had just signed in to Pryce Mine-ral Spa as well, making it so crowded that Arihnda preferred to spend her time as H'sishi's. She had always trained to distract her from tensions around her. It had paid off somehow.

It paid off again now, bringing her up to her best shape ever. The feeling lasted all the way until she saw Eli and Sabine on the ice. The two were entrancing. She watched from the side. Once she had been that young and unspoiled. What had she done with her potential? It was too late to think about that now.

Thrawn called them all together, holding up two data discs. "There are two routines, they have similar arrangements and I couldn't decide which one I wanted to use." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "They are both on the topic of love," he finally went on."I will give you as much of an idea as I can on my own."

He threw the discs to Yularen who caught them. It was obviously not the first time this had happened. He put them into the reader and started the first piece.

"This one is on Agape," Thrawn explained gliding over the ice.

The music swelled and Arihnda could feel it. Unconditional love and support. The faces of her parents appeared before her inner eye, Juahir, H'sishi – she could feel the swaying of her arms, the gentle curves and sweeps. It brought tears to her eyes and she hadn't even started.

Sabine and Eli on the other hand looked completely unimpressed. That changed the moment Yularen played the second arrangement. It was on Eros, sexual love. It was something Arihnda had limited experience with. There were dim images of her unflatteringly humping Thrawn lurking at the back of her brain, but that was certainly not what he had in mind.

Watching Thrawn gave her a pretty clear idea about what he did have on mind and it was certainly unfit for the public eye and the ic as elle. She was blushing watching him alone on the ice, imagining a woman at the other end of his suggestive movements was suicide. Arihnda put a hand over her nose to make sure it didn't start bleeding.

"We will start training tomorrow, shifts in the rink and with Yularen," Thrawn announced. "The face-off will be next Saturday."

"Excellent," Sabine agreed. "How do we chose who is dancing which routine?"

A thin smile crept onto Thrawn's lips. "You do not. I do. And of course I will go with what is most surprising. So you will dance Agape, unconditional love that is not expected from ones as young as you are."He turned to Arihnda. "And we will dance Eros. Surprising for a pair working together so shortly. Also surprising looking at you for the general audience."

Arihnda's mouth snapped open for a fierce rebuttal but she couldn't think of anything. It didn't matter because Eli and Sabine were already shouting at Thrawn who stood in the verbal assault like a statue.

"We will win," Eli declared confidently. "We will win and Yularen will train us to victory at the Coruscant Grand Prix."

Thrawn just nodded but he looked at Arihnda. He probably expected some kind of outbreak from her as well.

"You know what?" Arihnda said softly. "Fuck you. I will give this all the Eros I have and you will be the one with the nosebleed for once."

Arihnda had never seen Thrawn grin so broadly. He stepped to her side, putting an arm around her shoulders. "So that is what you really want, huh?"

"No." Arihnda considered shaking off his arm but well. "No. What I really want," she dared look him in the eye, " is you and I could maybe, well, perhaps eat Loth-rat pie together."

Thrawn frowned as if she was making no sense at all until he remembered that for that to happen, she would have to win a competition. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "We better start training then, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is killing me. I had no ideea how much I NEED this fic in my life.  
> Anybody feeling like throwing more sexy ice dancing routines my way, please DO!


	4. I am Eros, and Eros is Me?! Face-Off! Love on Ice

It was strange to be actually training again. Arihnda had gotten so used to half-arsed attempts and pretences that the daily work outs and progress assessments felt almost foreign. On the ice she was mostly working on syncing with Thrawn. It was more difficult than expected.

Partly it was because they were new skating together. It always took some getting used to each other. The bigger part of the problem was that Arihnda just couldn't get used to it though. Mitth'fucking'raw'nuruodo as her partner. It was absurd. He was also temptation on skates even without their ridiculously sexual routine. So she was caught between running and rutting, neither of any help to the actual task at hand.

If Thrawn noticed, he didn't comment on it. Arihnda wasn't sure how to feel about that uncertainty either. It didn't help that they shared the ice with Eli and Sabine who were also working on their routine with Yularen. Arihnda's heart sank. This would never work.

Why did that blue skinned idiot have to start of their programme with her jumping his bones and extended lifts afterwards? She rolled her shoulders and tried to concentrate. She was an adult woman. She could do this. She could jump his bones for the lifts without thinking of actually jumping his bones. Or at least thinking more of the ensuing routine than that.

They started the circling again. That went well enough. For practicality they skipped the extended lifts and went straight to the following step combination. This time she didn't sock Thrawn in the face by accident. Stupid idiot. Why did he have to have his face where her arms needed to pass on their way up?

Also, was it really necessary to slip her hand way down the inside of his thigh like all the way before the most beautiful tiny lift on which she could never really concentrate because of that. The place swaps went acceptably well and the following twizzles were also fine. As was most of the dancing afterwards. And then -

– then Arihnda was always grateful they were putting of the lifts until they had the routine down to, well a routine, because that lift was – indecent. Or would be. Also totally amazing in all its later poses, but somehow she doubted, they'd ever get there. And then there was still the whole second half of the programme.

Arihnda reached out and missed Thrawn's hand by a foot, skating into emptiness. Another problem. She got lost inside her own head and actually forgot about Mitth'raw'fucking'nuruodo skating beside her. She was a lost case. But a stubborn one. They started over once more.

This time she concentrated on ice dancing and getting the steps and sequence right. A few more repeats and Arihnda was sure she could start working on her expression and maybe the second half. She had to face it, they'd just be all over each other on the ice with the world watching. Which was a good thing, she reminded herself. Because otherwise indecent lifts would be the last of her problems.

They managed to get through the complete Eros routine, excepting lifts, twice. It was not so hard when she concentrated on ice dancing. Which was hard, but she was a professional. No matter how much Eros they would exude, she would be professional about it.

Thrawn straightened them out of their finishing pose though he didn't consider it necessary to remove his hand from around her neck. "You have the skill to win. Why can't you make it happen?"

"Well," Arihnda tried to ignore the hand slowly moving around to her throat, thumb moving up her jaw line. "It's probably because I lack confidence?"

"Right. Then my job is to make you feel confident in yourself." His hand came to a stop with only the fingertips still resting against her skin. Still he somehow managed to use that soft grip to pull himself closer until their bodies almost touched. "Nobody in the whole galaxy knows your true Eros, Arihnda," he murmured. His thumb gently pushed down her lower lip, parting her lips. "It may be an alluring side of you that you yourself are yet unaware of. Can you show it to me soon?"

Arihnda took a prudent step backwards which only unmade Thrawn's hold reluctantly. She swallowed hard. By the time she had regained her composure Thrawn was back to his happy smug self.

"Think long and hard what Eros is to you," he advised and left the rink.

Staring at his back, the answer came to Arihnda immediately and unbidden. What would Eros be if not Thrawn naked in the spa getting it on with her real fast like, wham, bang, ecstasy ma'am? Or maybe even better yet, actually her gracefully humping Thrawn senseless. Of course neither idea was one she would let within ten feet, make that a ten mile radius, of the routine. It was unacceptable.

She needed to find something else, something hot enough to get her believing. Something hot enough to set her body on fire while leaving her mind clear enough to do some decent ice dancing. With a sigh she skated to the barrier as well, getting off the ice. She had a lot to think about indeed.

"That wasn't bad," Driller said when she tied her shoes. "Still you look mightily unhappy."

"It's the routine," Arihnda sighed. "I need to find my epitome of Eros to embody. It is hard."

"I guess," Driller shrugged. "But if Thrawn isn't enough to turn you on, I don't think anybody can help you."

Arihnda kept her moth closed very carefully. After a while she shook her head. "No matter what I do, people would prefer to see Natasi in my place. They will blame me for her decision to leave. She and Thrawn had real chemistry going on."

"You were pretty good skating their old routine," he replied. "Almost sexy even."

"I can't keep copying Daala," Arihnda sighed. "If I'll do, I will never surpass her."

"Surpass Natasi?" Driller snorted.

"No, no of course not," Arihnda corrected herself in a quick stutter. "I can never surpass her, just maybe replace her."

"You will need way more practice on your Eros for that," he laughed. "I mean how can somebody as inexperienced in dating as you keep up with the hottest bachelor in the galaxy?"

He was right, of course. Thrawn's own overwhelming Eros was a part of the problem, maybe _the_ problem. And there was no way around it. He was decided on doing the sexiest routine in galactic ice dancing history.

 _So maybe that was it,_ Arihnda thought. _Not her Eros pitted against his, but her innocence overcome. Now that might work._

She cast a glance over her shoulder at the ice where Eli and Sabine were still working on their own problem. Agape didn't come easy to either of them, especially Sabine skated way too aggressive for her subject. But she was a headstrong young woman trying to go with the head through the wall.

With a heavy heart, Arihnda dragged herself away. But she couldn't face going home already, feeling like the failure she was despite Driller's words. Maybe because of Driller's words. They echoed what she had always know. Almost.

Almost sexy. Almost good enough. Almost there.

She turned to H'sishi's ballet studio, practising some body tension for the lifts. It was tiring and as such exactly what she needed. When Arihnda finally returned home, she could feel each and every muscle in her body. Tempted by the image of soaking in the hot outdoor pool, she grabbed a towel.

The slightly scared anticipation dissolved when she saw the 'women only' sign up at the pool. One the one had that was very disappointing. On the other hand she didn't know if she could or wanted to deal with a buck naked Thrawn again right now.

The pool was not empty though. Sabine was lying in it, looking up only shortly when Arihnda stepped into the hot water. Arihnda relished in the relaxing warmth as she made her way to the resting benches and sat down. It was the most luxurious feeling.

Still, Sabine looked defeated.

"Yularen's pretty tough, huh?" Arihnda tried to start a conversation. It felt impolite to sit naked in a pool together and ignore each other pointedly.

Sabine huffed and rolled her shoulders. "He is the best though. It's just that stupid theme of the routine."

"I feel you." Arihnda sighed. "I would have loved to do Agape, but no. Thrawn has to do-" humping on ice sounded wrong so she paused. "Eros. Kraytspit."

"It is just Thrawn needs to do something people don't see coming." Sabine sank deeper into the water. "Surprising the audience is way too important to him."

"Well." Arihnda chewed her lip. "Having a young pair full of raw energy and then us in juxtaposition, thinking of the two themes giving Agape to you would be the more unexpected choice, so actually having you do Eros would have been more surprising after all."

They mulled the argument over in their heads for a while. It was a little twisted but worked out.

"What is it about Agape anyway?" Sabine asked.

"I," Arihnda hesitated sorting through the images in her mind. "I think of my parents, how they always showed support and love for me. I just want to return something, you know?"

"Unconditional love for unconditional love," Sabine mused. "Makes sense, I guess."

Arihnda bit down on the unconditional. She had something to prove, something to earn. That was not so very Agape, perhaps, but closer to the truth. "Also my friends," she continued. Juahir and H'sishi. They have always been there for me. Especially Juahir." Arihnda smiled. "We were ride or die. Bury a body, play wingman..."

"Juahir played wingman for _you_?" Sabin sounded incredulous.

"Well," Arihnda didn't elaborate. It hadn't worked too well and in the end Ottlis hadn't been worth it. You just didn't start something with your partner. It was not done. "I cannot imagine living without somebody I'd just do anything for – no questions asked."

Sabine sat up but didn't reply. Her eyes unfocussed as if the was looking at something deep inside rather then the spa.

Arihnda waited for a moment but it became clear that the other woman wouldn't be answering. So much for conversations skills. Another almost. She slipped underwater, blanking out the word in a warm daze. Some day she would be able to talk like people talked. One day she would just know. Other people did it all the time. It couldn't be that hard.

But for one long day, it was enough. Arihnda left the hot pool where Sabine still sat deep in thought and curled up in her bed. Life should be better with her current situation being what it was. Tomorrow they were starting on the lifts. She pulled the blanket over her head. It was doubtful if that improved in her situation any.

 

* * *

 

"We are doing what first?" Arihnda stared at Thrawn. He had many strange ideas but this was beyond

"The curve lift that has you standing on my thighs," he repeated calmly. "It will need the most practice."

That it would. Arihnda shook her head.

"I have padding, do not worry." Thrawn patted his thighs demonstratively. "You have done those before."

True, but she had been training with Ottlis for over a month before they started on them. Also she had assumed they'd start at the beginning. But he could have his way. With a shrug she acquiesced.

It went better than expected. The padding was worth its weight in doonium and she managed not to hit Thrawn in the head with her other skate once when she raised it over his head. Arihnda liked lifts. The feeling of the air rushing by, flying over the ice without touching it, the tension holding her body together like a wound spring. There was nothing that compared.

Unfortunately, the length of the lifts was limited. The curve lift was the longer kind but six seconds just wasn't very long. Well, not if you were lifted. Six seconds of having her skates' blades biting into his thighs were probably longer for Thrawn.

And then there was Yularen, correcting her position to the millimetre while criticising her expression. Arihnda had already gotten used to being called 'girl' and being gruffly ordered around. He just was taking the routine that extra mile. It was close to dislocating limbs at times, but if that was what it took to look flawless and light like Natasi, Arihnda would take it.

When Yularen went to instruct Eli and Sabine for a while she and Thrawn returned to practising the steps and overall routine again adding a few of the easier and shorter lifts. The early small one where she stepped on air was coming along nicely as were the butterfly steps and the last one that ended the dance. It was still strange.

Arihnda was sure she had never had a routine that put her partners' hands on her hips so much. Not to mention up her sides, down her belly and at one point she was almost certain Thrawn had inappropriately brushed his lips against her back. Okay, that might have been wishful thinking but the move was set up to look like that.

Then Yularen returned and moved them through the starting lift. It was easier than Arihnda had thought. She needed to jump in the general direction of Thrawn, keeping within a defined but manageable corridor. He did the fine tuning that made her end up plastered against his chest with her legs wrapped around him.

From there on it was straightforward enough, down and up and down again, always cradled way to close to Thrawn for her comfort. It was probably not her fault when she was tempted to sock him in the face a little later. Just as friendly recompense for the discomfort.

And then – The Lift. Jumping into it was difficult. It started like a backflip but she had to turn face to face with Thrawn before jumping into a header with her legs ending over his shoulders while he made sure she didn't fall and got her ass up high enough in the end.

He did not exhale which was a blessing. Arihnda might accidentally have strangled him with her thighs if he had. And it was just two seconds. Just two seconds before she was allowed to roll down over his arm again to be swung around like a normal lift should. When he skate his the ice again, she was ready to dissolve onto the ice in a puddle of nerves.

Naturally that was out of the question. Yularen had a lot to say about their technique and promised he would get to the abysmal expression once they had the basics down.

Arihnda looked at Thrawn. He was listening attentively, making mental notes. She should be doing the same. But Yularen was finished and gestured them back onto the ice for a few repeats. Well, life was no picnic.

It was exhausting but by the end of the day, Arihnda was quite positive that they would make it through the whole free dance. Provided they managed those two crucial and complicated lifts. Then she just had to get her Eros together and they might be able to stand against Eli and Sabine.

Which didn't mean Thrawn had stopped asking what Eros meant to her. She really needed to come up with an explanation for him. Arihnda pinched the bridge of her nose. Eros. Eros. What was it even? It made you lose control, took away your ability to make normal and logical choices. What was that overwhelming her her life?

She watched Thrawn lazily moving over the ice, repeating the fast step combination. Now that – that was actually a lie. Arihnda went rigid with the realisation. Regardless of what she had thought, Thrawn had not made her lose control even once. They had gone through the whole Eros routine and damn that was sexy and steamy. But here she was. In complete control of herself.

She wasn't saying she wasn't tempted. Thrawn had had his hands over every inch of her body except those zones that lead to immediate beheading. And she had had her hands in some quite exciting places as well. But that was all professional. No attempts of her making out or desperate smooching had ensued. Even his more intrusive approaches had not been able to make her lose control.

Well.

So what _was_ there?

Arihnda drifted in her musings. Nothing. It was impossible. She had to find something, anything, She needed to win this stupid competition, needed to keep Yularen as their trainer. He had improved her technique so much already. Also, she really wanted to eat loth-rat pie again. Now there was a thought.

And the thought alone derailed her considerations. Loth-rat pie. She could never control herself around it. There was just no way to stop eating before all of it was gone. And what did getting up in the middle of the night to actually bake some say about her? Everything, probably.

But it was worth it, hot damn was it ever worth it. Arihnda snapped her mouth shut to keep from drooling and steadied herself with a sudden step forwards.

"Arihnda?" Thrawn skated up to her.

"I got it," she said and put her hands up between them to stop him. He did, mostly because her arms were squashed between them and he ahd nowhere to go. "Loth-rat pie!"

Thrawn frowned uncomprehending.

"What Eros is to me," she explained. "What makes me lose control. Loth. Rat. Pie. I can feel it, taste it." She spread hear arms and leant back relishing in the feeling of luxuriously satisfied carnal hunger.

When she opened her eyes again, Thrawn was mere inches away. "Ok," he said, "let's go with that. It's unique just as you are."

The severity of what she had just done hit Arihnda as he dragged her back into the middle of the ice. She had told the doubtlessly sexiest man in the galaxy that she considered pie sexier than him. Ouch. There was no way to take it back, though. It had been a sensible plan from the inside: give him a story he could believe while not disclosing how overwhelmed she felt by the whole Eros thing. From the outside it had to look crude and cold.

Something to make up for. Arihnda threw herself into training. The pie analogy was actually working. It was surprising how much less impact Thrawn's touch had when she was fantasising about making and eating Loth-rat pie.

It went to some strange places like chopping onions with her blades or throwing the crust over her head. Also being told to stand pie high on Thrawn's thighs was questionable. And Thrawn went ahead dubbing the Indecent Lift 'pie in the sky' and was not helping again once more.

It went so far that even Arihnda found herself telling Thrawn not to make such pie demands on her. But overall it helped. As the face-off drew closer, Arihnda became more optimistic about it. Calling the event 'Love on Ice' had been unwarranted in her opinion, as was marketing it in the whole sector.

But the whole sector disagreed and asked if there wasn't by chance any way to expand the local ice rink by about eighteen times its current size to get enough people in there as wanted tickets. Arihnda found herself staring at one of the gaudy posters plastered over every surface next to Eli.

"Doesn't it bother you, having to compete against Thrawn?" She asked.

"Not really." Eli shrugged. "He is good, but so am I. And I have Sabine."

 _Whereas Thrawn is stuck with you_. He didn't have to add that and he didn't. Eli's quiet confidence was intimidating in it's own way. He left her staring at the poster, feeling like an impostor among pro skaters. How had that even happened?

Well, Arihnda remembered Thrawn's arrival in her life via the hot pool quite vividly. There was no real explanation as to why he had done it, flimsy excuses apart. But he had arrived and invaded her family as if he was a part of it. As if he belonged. Arihnda shook her head. She needed to do something. Now.

A little later, she banged her fists on H'sishi's door.

The ballet instructor opened a little later looking half asleep but not angry. "You want to train at this time, huh?" She asked.

"I need your help." Arihnda said forcefully. "Teach me how to physically put a man in his place!"

H'sishi blinked a few times. Then she shrugged and gestured Arihnda to come in.

Arihnda followed. Thrawn might be pushing all of her buttons all of the time, but there would be one place where would damned well not.

 

* * *

 

Arihnda could not remember ever seeing so many people in Juahir's ice rink. The place was bursting. Somebody had sold tickets for standing in the aisle and walkways. It was probably illegal. Arihnda doubted anybody cared. They were in the Outer Rim after all.

Jauhir whipped up the already excited crowd while they warmed up in the locker room. Sabine was dressed in the lightest blue, Eli's costume just a shade darker. White had been too obvious for Agape.

Arihnda wondered why her dress was of a burning red anyway. Also, dressing Thrawn in white was not a good idea. It gave her nosebleeds and made him more difficult to see on the ice. People would start watching her instead. It was just generally a bad idea.

Eli and Sabine were scheduled first. They moved onto the ice like a breath if fresh air, gentle wind over running water. Unlike the Eros choreography, Agape started out with a prolonged skating and step section, broken up by twizzles. The first lift came one minute in.

Sabine reached for the sky as if she was about to ascend. The audience watched rapt as the slipped back into Eli's hold and down onto the ice. They were amazing. For the short time they had been practising the routine, they were flawless. But you could see they were working on making it look easy as the choreography went on. Still they held up until the end, standing in the spotlight gasping for air.

"That is the best you have ever skated," Yualren called to them.

Arihnda closed her eye and hung her head. It was hopeless. Those two were only just beginning to unfold their potential. Even if all went well, this might still be her last season on the ice. Thrawn might stick around, but he was an exception, still skating seniors at his age and not moving on to professionals.

She didn't have what it took to go professional. So with him moving on and her – she shook her head. No good thinking like that now. He skates came back into focus slowly. She had to concentrate on the task ahead. Or this would be over before it ever started. She didn't want that. Arihnda tried to calm down.

What she wanted, really, really wanted was for Thrawn to stay. To keep working together. To hopefully do win a thing or two because he wanted to win very much. Was that her problem? That she didn't want to win enough? That she was happy with getting through and not completely disappointing her family?

Her parents' faces floated up in her mind. What would they think, what would they do if she ever really disappointed them for good? It was unthinkable. The pain almost real when Arihnda only considered them turning their backs on her. No. She had to win. She _had_ to.

"Arihnda." Thrawn's voice broke through her thoughts.

She raised her head looking straight into his eyes. He did not look concerned at all. Confident and maybe a little excited to show the new routine for the first time. If he worried about her messing up at all… "It's our turn."

Startled by the sudden closeness, Arihnda had to steady herself on him. A chance Thrawn abused for a good-luck hug immediately. But Arihnda twisted out of it. What if she messed up and made Thrawn look bad? Her reputation was in shambless, but what about him? How could he be so stupid and put his career into her hands like that?

"I will be the most tasty Loth-rat pie you have ever known," she blurted out. It was meant as an assurance, but out loud it did sound ridiculous.

"Great," Thrawn replied with a smile. "Can't wait to have a taste."

He led her to the ice and there was nothing she could do. So Arihnda took a deep breath and focussed. First on his firm hold of her hand. Then on the choreography ahead, on the extra lessons she had taken for it just this night, and finally, on the first notes of their music.

Their music. Their song and nobody in the whole galaxy could intrude. It was time to show Thrawn that he did not own her whole life. They circled and she jumped. Thrawn caught her and she allowed him to swing her around, take hold of her for a while. But as soon as the stood again, she snapped her armour on.

This was her body he was handling. So she would tell him exactly where to stop. His eyes flashed when she pushed him away. This far, no further. Her hand descended the inside of his thigh. Her game. Her rules.

The choreography called for Thrawn to dance around her, return to her each time she skated away, each time she wound out of his grip. And she did not make it easy on him. So finally he raised into the indecent lift, a last attempt to sway her but once again, she slipped out of his grasp.

They circled again. Arihnda could feel Thrawn's gaze burn into her. He had not expected this forceful rejection. So far she had been playful in the routine, but now she was putting down clear lines. All it seemed to do was make him more determined for the second half of the routine.

But that was different. It was gentler. They moved with each other on an even basis; no chasing, no intruding. And Arihnda yielded every step of the way. She reached out for him in return, skated after him as well.

When they came to the curve lift, Arihnda felt Thrawn wince when she positioned her blade incorrectly. But he continued as if nothing happened, cradling her close as he set her down gently on his thigh ad then the ice. The following falls were Arihnda's least favourite part, but they were almost the end.

They reached their final pose. Arihnda felt like waking up, the applause of the audience washing over them. They bowed in all directions. Thrawn did not let go of her hand. It was amazing.

They reached the barrier where Yularen was waiting. There was no sign of Eli or Sabine but Arihnda could not concentrate on that.

"That was very good, girl," Yularen said. "I have not seen you so on fire before. But what was that in the curve lift? Are you trying to cut Thrawn to pieces? And that firt lift? You cannot expect…"

Arihnda let her mind wander off. Yularen was a good trainer but the thought that she'd remember anything he said right now was quaint. Her hand was slowly getting cold again now too, now that Thrawn had let go of it. She clasped it with her other, trying to look attentive. This, too, would pass.

 

* * *

 

The victory was a little hollow. Arihnda looked at her hands, sitting cross-legged on her bed. Eli and Sabine had not even waited for the results. She couldn't understand it. Their performances were so close in the score. It could have gone either way.

Juahir had tried to make them stay. There was enough space at the spa for them to stay and Yularen was capable of training two pairs. But it was in vain. Eli was determined to make his own way. He had his own place and Yularen was not the only ice dancing trainer of renown in the Empire.

They were still determined to win their first season in the seniors, but they would do it on their own terms. Eli had the choreography Thrawn had promised him; he would take it from there.

Arihnda could understand that urge to be independent, to make it on your own. It had always driven her, not so much as a desire but as a necessity. A necessity that felt a little less inevitable since Thrawn had arrived. There was something about him that made you want to believe other people were genuine in their affections and expressions of them.

Arihnda closed her eyes, remembering the final results of the face-off being declared. They had won. It had been by a hair, but she had been enough. This once, with Thrawn. And with his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her gently, the future competitions had not seemed that impossible.

Arihnda had smiled at the audience. This was what she wanted. She was tired of never being enough. She had gotten a chance, and she would take it.

"I'm going to win the Grand Prix Final with Thrawn this season. Thank you for your continued support." The words echoed in her mind. She had said it. She better make good on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have based their free dance on [this amazing performance.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcPt_vJUMoU) With deviations.


	5. Love Yourself ... And Complete The Short Dance!!

With Eli and Sabine gone, Lothal fell into a strange tranquillity. Yularen scheduled their days tightly, pushing them into a hard training routine. But that was alright. Arihnda had lost a lot of time moping about before Thrawn had turned up.

For all the practice together, Arihnda still could not get used to it. Having Thrawn as partner was more like dancing with a god. That she should have him to herself, that he was going to be there every day – it was surreal.

And so she kept thinking about the whole situation and messing up the lifts. That was especially painful for the curve lift that would never be all pain free. Even for that it had to be perfect. And it was not. Nothing was.

They were training hard every day. She had bruises on covering her feet and other parts of her body as well. Especially the falling was problematic. She never really let go so it was difficult for Thrawn to move her as needed. And she could not actually support because she was meant to be falling.

 _This isn't good enough_ , Arihnda thought lacing up her boots. Even if 'this' was just a very thin cover for her real thoughts. _I have to change._

Thrawn stepped into her field of vision. At least his boots did. Then he leant down, his face almost touching hers. "Do you know why I decided to be your partner?"

Arihnda was too distracted by his breath on her skin to rejoice in finally getting an answer to the question that bothered her endlessly. Her thinking capabilities were not improved when Thrawn straightened again and pulled her up with him at both hands until she ended up almost plastered against him.

"I was drawn to you because of the music, the music your body creates when you skate." He moved her gently through a few of their poses as he continued speaking. "I want to create a program to maximise that. Only I can do that. The free dance proves it. Maybe you should produce our short program?"

"But my coach has always done my choreo-" Arihnda took a step backwards, a move Thrawn turned into their finishing pose.

"Isn't it more fun to do it yourself?" Thrawn asked down at her.

"But my previous coach…"

"Who was that?" Thrawn stood her up and let go.

It was a relief and flustering at the same time. Arihnda smoothed down her shirt. "Ghadi," she replied. "My coach was Guntram Ghadi."

There was a flicker in Thrawn's eyes when he heard the name but no other reaction. "Let's call him," he suggested.

It was not a pleasant suggestion. Arihnda had not called Ghadi since the Coruscant Grand Prix. Also she had not forgiven him for making a fortune by betting against her and Ottlis in the competitions. She had never trusted him to create truly winning routines after she found out.

But Thrawn was _leaning_ already. So she groped for her comm in her bag and dutifully punched in Ghadi's code. To her surprise and annoyance, he actually answered.

"Arihnda, my dear." A thin sheen of static dimmed his image. "I have not seen you since the Grand Final."

"Yeah," Arihnda hedged, "it's been a while."

"I hear Thrawn is your partner now?"

"Well, yes." Arihnda was still wondering how to move on from that one when Thrawn took the comm from her hands.

"Hi there, Ghadi, I'm her partner, Thrawn" he introduced himself. "Why didn't you let Arihnda put together her own programmes?"

There was a short pause in which Ghadi shook his head thoughtfully. "I usually do that for my pairs but if they want to do it themselves, I let them. Arihnda tried once. It wasn't bad, but when I asked her if she believed she could win with it, she retracted immediately. Arihnda never had confidence in herself. I told her time and again to trust herself more, but..." He shrugged.

"That's all I needed to know. Thank you." Thrawn hung up before Ghadi couldsay anything else. Then he turned to Arihnda slowly. "Show me that routine." It was almost a growl.

She backed away but Thrawn was leaning again and there was absolutely nothing you could do when he's in that mood. So she put on the skates again. Her feet protested. They thought they were done for the day except for a hot bath and some massaging life back into them.

But since Thrawn was also gearing up so she ploughed on. The routine was burnt into her memory with the shame of a million suns. It was supposed to reflect herself and career and it did so perfectly: it was mediocre through and through. It hit home with every lift she described.

"Well, it's an okay start, I guess." Thrawn said when they finished. "But if we want to win with that, you need to up it a few hundred notches."

With that he left her standing on the ice. She stared after him. At the barrier he turned around once more. "And music, don't forget the music."

Arihnda stared long after he had gone. Who did he think he was? Also, who did he think she was??? But something inside her refused to give up. If he expected her to fail, she would sorely disappoint him. And if he expected her succeed, well, actually, in that case. Her shoulders slumped. In that case she would have to think up something very quickly.

 

* * *

 

Eli Vanto had to realise that without Thrawn, Coruscant was a lot less fun. Almost no fun. It was exceedingly frustrating. Yes, he and Sabine came from worlds that were not counted among the core worlds, but they were here because they were the best. They won the junior championships with a decided lead.

Then there was the question of their trainer unanswered as yet. Being the best should be enough to attract the best. For a while they had considered trainer Tarkin but his methods seemed a little too harsh. Mostly they had training sessions trying trainers. None had anything to add to the free dance though, not even a useful comment.

"We still have to write out short dance," Sabine reminded him. Another trainer was leaving them unsatisfied. "I hope you spared some thoughts for that?"

"Of course," Eli replied. "I have some ideas. You?"

"Yeah, some." She shrugged skating to the nearest barrier and sheathed her blades. Her exit was halted by the imposing figure of a woman approaching determinedly.

Eli was too busy getting off the ice himself that he only saw her, when she was right in front of him, looking down at him with a serious scowl. Eli straightened. She still looked down at him with a scowl.

"Are you him?" She gave him a once over. "Back on the ice. If I don't like what I see, I'll go home." She glanced at Sabine who stared. "You to. Or do you expect him to dance both parts?"

Sabine unsheathed her skates hastily. "Is that...?" she whispered to Eli when their heads were close together.

"Yeah." He did not sound enthusiastic, but then again Eli was easily overwhelmed. Sabine hoped he wasn't too floored to show off their skills to the former prima ballerina of the Empire's First Ballet. Not only had Ar'alani reached this post as an alien like Thrawn, but she had held it longer than anybody before her. Her training routines were strict, efficient, and without frills.

She had moved on to training though it was undisputed that she could still lead the First Ballet should she so desire. Her reputation preceded her and often left a path of prostrate admirers behind. Another frill of life she had little interest in.

After a little warming up, they began their Agape routine. It was always a little bumpy without the music but Ar'alani interrupted them after a third anyway. "We'll start from square one," she called to them. "Your expression is pathetic. It is back to ballet lessons for the coming two weeks for both of you. I will teach you what easy elegance means."

"What the hell?" Eli murmured.

"Three weeks for you, Vanto, if you keep this up. The lobster I ate yesterday had a better free leg than you in the second twizzle. I will see you tomorrow at eight in my studio." She gave them another once over. "And should you prove to be actually acceptable on your feet, you may give me your input to the short dance."

When Ar'alani had swept out of the rink, Eli looked at Sabine. "What was that?"

"Ar'alani in action." Sabine sounded impressed. "You better bring your A game tomrrow, Eli. If you screw this up for us, not winning the Grand Prix final will be the least of your problems."

From the way Sabine skated off it was clear that she would be his first. Eli shrugged. He had heard things about the former prima ballerina of course, but none of them called her unfair or cruel and only behind closed doors a slave driver. A little pushing could not hurt if they were to win their first season in the seniors league.

"A game. Got it."

 

* * *

 

 

Revamping the old routine was not easy. Arihnda thought about it almost non-stop but nothing ever seemed good enough for a routine to be danced with Mitth'raw'fucking'nuruodo. She tried to think about the good things, the hot things of the routine that made her sizzle across the ice like lightning in skates.

Thinking of Thrawn ice dancing was one thing that always worked. But now that he was actually here... she sighed. There was a saying about meeting your idols and it was giving her headaches. She had wanted to be where she was right now. Thrawn had always created his own routines, cooperated with Yularen and Daala, but doing his own thing. Also had had music composed especially for the programme from time to time.

Was that something she should worry about as well? Arihnda put her head in her hands. She thought she wanted to do that. Do everything herself, but it was so hard. So what did she really want? The image of Thrawn on the ice returned. This time she didn't bat it away.

If she had her way – Arihnda sat up. But she did, didn't she? That was exactly what Thrawn had asked of her. She blinked. Well. It was a completely different approach than reflecting her own career. It also felt skeevy and dirty and wrong and a little illicit. It was very exciting.

A smile crept over her face. And there had been that song, that horrible, horrible upbeat song one of her early suitors had tormented her with only because it featured her name. If Thrawn wanted it her way, that was exactly what he would get. And he better like it. Or else.

It was still slow going. She wanted so much. There were definitely too many lifts, too much drama and not enough step sequences. And no matter how she juggled the elements, the impact she longed for was missing.

Thrawn noticed how she was getting more involved and kept pushing at it. He had at least two ideas every day. Caf? Vids? Soak in the pools? Visiting the markets? Local band gig? Dinner? Caf after all?

Arihnda always declined. Apart from the obvious no-gos she didn't feel like spending frivolous time with Thrawn until the short dance was done. It was her job. She needed to do this and before she was finished, how could she even think about enjoying things. Thrawn. Both. She had to earn that.

So she locked herself into her room a lot, tried out moves, watched the routines of other dancers, and tried not to end up slouched over her screen watching Thrawn and Daala dance. Damn. They just looked so great together. Easy and effortless. The ice belonged to them.

To her surprise, Thrawn didn't stop asking. He gave her disappointed looks. But there was much going on in his life and he never tired of asking her to join him. It had been easier if he gotten angry or stopped. He did not.

The deluge of offers started to weigh on Arihnda, mostly because she had no reason to decline except for stubbornness and the fear of how embarrassingly stupid she would act if ever left alone with Thrawn in a private setting.

Overall things were going good. The free dance was taking on real shape and expression. The lifts became easier, almost natural, even the indecent one. Well, it worked as long as Thrawn remembered not to exhale when she was up there which was usually the case but not always. If he didn't stop, Arihnda predicted an ugly incident.

The short dance was also taking form slowly. Arihnda had to edit so many things it felt like a bare bones act and the final climax was still missing. But she was getting places. So when Thrawn asked her to go someplace after training she was lenient.

"Where?"

Thrawn regarded her for a moment. "I was thinking up the shaft tower. The view is amazing."

Arihnda hesitated. She had spent her share of time up there when it still held a control centre of the mine. Seeing the ore come up, the monitors, the lights. It had it's own calming rhythm. Now that the mine was defunct, she had avoided going there, not sure what she would find.

"Alright."

He blinked once before taking her hand and dragging her away as if she would change her mind again if he didn't. Arihnda barely managed to grab her things.

It was already dark outside. The new neon sign lit up the night around them in sharp green and pink. They left the glare behind. Thrawn knew the way well and Arihnda assumed he had gone up to the tower before. Maybe he'd tell her why.

The stairwell was unchanged. The metal steps clunked under their feet and the ones Arihnda remembered to creak, still creaked. It was a practical building for business. A little creaking hurt nobody except little girls trying to sneak up on their dads. She smiled at the memories. Life was easier when you were a child. You didn't have to prove anything to earn love.

The former control centre was dark and stripped. Only a few consoles that were grafted into the walls were still around but all their lights were dead. Arihnda took a deep breath, fighting down the pang that tried to overwhelm her. She had been so happy here. Whatever happened?

Thrawn turned around as soon as he entered the room walking to the windows that did not overlook the mine. He stopped, looking out with his hands clasped at the small of his back.

Arihnda stood next to him trying to see what he saw. The view was nice. There was the whole of Lothal's star littered sky above. And in the distance the lights of Capital City twinkled like a promise, chained to the mine by the lamps that lit the speedway.

She had looked that way often as a teenager. The call of the big city. The desire to be somebody, to be off this planet, to show the whole galaxy who she was. It had been one thing that drew her to ice dancing. You threw yourself into that and everything else went away.

The silence grew on Arihnda and she became restless. What was Thrawn doing here? Why had she agreed to accompany him?

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He finally said. "When I lived on Coruscant, I was surrounded by such lights every night. They shone throughout the dark hours each night every night. I never thought I'd leave Coruscant again to live somewhere else."

He glanced at her. When she didn't reply, Thrawn returned his gaze to the glow of Capital City in the distance. "I never noticed the lights on Coruscant. But here, I see them here every night. Often from up here just to watch them in the distance. I should have paid more attention."

Thrawn fell silent again, a slow blink dimming the red glow illuminating the dark room briefly. Suddenly he turned to Arihnda, his gaze intent on her face. "Do you ever have regrets like that?"

The question steam-rolled Arihnda. She stared up at him mouth working before she knew. "There was that girl. We were in a training camp on Alderaan. One of the reasons I like ice dancing so much, you know. I got away from here. So we got along very well and she was hurt in training. Skate to the temple as things sometimes go."

Arihnda stopped herself, shaking her head with a frown. But it was too late. Thrawn's inquisitive look was – inviting. She liked it. And it was just a story. "She had to be operated and I remember sitting in the waiting area with another girl. She was very extroverted, tried to talk to me the whole time, cheer me up."

It had been annoying and comforting. Arihnda remembered her turmoil well. It showed in a lopsided smile. "At one point, she hugged me to comfort me." The smile fell. "I pushed her way. I didn't even think about it. I just shoved her away hard."

"Why?"

"I didn't want people to think I am weak." Arihnda paused to gather her breath from where it stuck in her chest. "I don't want anybody to see into my heart. So that's what I am doing."

Silence fell. Thrawn didn't question her. He just looked. Then he reached out as if to touch her face. At the last second his hand veered of to settle on her shoulder instead. "You are not weak, Arihnda. Nobody thinks that."

She looked out of the window over his hand and bit her lip. Just a story, huh? Good going. She tried to smile.

With a sudden, Thrawn changed gears. "So," he squeezed her shoulder deftly, " what do you want me to be then? A father figure?"

Arihnda blinked, confused by his sudden switch. "No."

"A brother then?"

"No." She shook her head.

"A friend?"

Where was he even going with this? What had come over him? Had she embarrassed him with her story? She should have kept her stupid mouth shut. It always ruined everything.

"Alright," his tone changed subtly and he leaned again. "Your lover then, I guess."

"No!" Arihnda took a forceful step backwards, warding him off with both hands. "No. No. Just. No!"

His confusion hurt.

"Just be _yourself_. Thrawn." She got around the pounding of her heart.

He stopped leaning and nodded slowly.

"I have always looked up to you and Daala," Arihnda let her ruinous tongue wag free once more.

"Natasi." It was a correction of her, not an expression of longing.

Arihnda stumbled, too many things whirling through her head to take that in on top of them. "You were what I always wanted to be, where I wanted to be, who-" She stopped herself. "I kept declining your offers because I don't want you to see any of all of my shortcomings. I just can't, you see right now, right? It never-"

Arihnda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know I am not that – anything. But I will make up for it on the ice. I swear."

For a long while Thrawn just looked at her in silence, his brow furrowed deeply. "Alright," he finally replied. "if that is how it works for you, I won't let you off easy." He actually smiled. "That is how _I_ show I care."

It took effort to nod. Arihnda managed slowly and it was enough. She had no idea what to make of Thrawn. He kept pushing and pushing but never too hard, never too much. And when she did open up, he just stopped, met her where she stood and left it at that.

Maybe she should be less afraid of opening up. Even if she did not want anybody to see what was in her heart. Not even herself. It was not a pretty place in there. She returned to looking out the window. So did he.

The lights of Capital city looked pretty. Not alluring any longer or tempting. They were beautiful just where they were with her just where she was, standing in the control room of her family mine's shaft tower just close enough to Thrawn to feel his presence.

 

* * *

 

The incident had little impact on Arihnda's life. She was surprised that it didn't change how Thrawn acted towards her. Still asking her to join too many of his activities. Still calling her out on all her mistakes in training. It was as if she was not less of a person to him than before.

"What about the short dance?" Thrawn kept badgering her. "Do you want us to improvise? That will not go down well."

"I am working on it," Arihnda assured him. "I am almost done. It just needs a little extra oomph."

"I can give you some oomph," Thrawn offered with a grin.

"You better work on syncing those twizzle with me some more," Arihnda deflected.

It worked. They were back on the ice with the music playing again. Music helped but a beat was impossibly long if you tried to do something at exactly the same moment. Very, very long. It was exhausting. But it was also getting better slowly.

"Let's do that one more time." Arihnda skated back towards Thrawn.

"Have we not done this a thousand times already?"

"Only thirteen times," she corrected. "And-"

"I have suspected from watching your other routines," Thrawn interrupted her, "but you have amazing stamina."

"Huh." Arihnda wasn't sure what to reply. "One thing I have after all, yes?"

Thrawn ignored that in favour of returning into position on the ice. Arihnda followed suit. As before, one of them always lagged a crucial moment. And while she was willing to try until that was fixed, Thrawn just left her after another 24 times and mumbled something about time out and hot pools.

She couldn't practice the routine on her own. But since Thrawn was gone, Arihnda decided to try some of the short dance. Actually skating it helped tremendously. It was not quite perfect, but some parts could be left standing the way they were. All she needed to do was wind them together beautifully and end with a bang.

That bang didn't come to her, though. She kept mulling it over on her way home. She thought about it when she ate, showered, threw herself from side to side on the bed until she got up again. Sitting at her desk, she pored over crude flow-charts and drawings of the routine. It was lacking. It was – it would look better with Natasi dancing it.

That was the main problem. That she kept imitating Natasi and there was no way she could ever surpass her, or even get up to her level. No, she needed something else entirely. Arihnda banged her forehead gently against the desk. There was just absolutely nothing Thrawn and Natasi had not done on the ice.

The solution hit her like a comet. Arihnda jumped up and raced to Thrawn's room. Banging the door open, she crawled up over him until she sat on his midriff, quivering with excitement. Sanity probed gently at her with the information that Thrawn was not wearing much to bed but was batted away eagerly.

"I have it!" She gesticulated and almost broke his nose. "The short program, I have it! But first," she slowed down, taking in the situation. She shook it off looking down at Thrawn. "But I need to know a few things first, okay?"

"Okay." It was almost a question and accompanied by a deep frown.

"Will you chase me?"

"Into Darkspace and back."

Arihnda had to catch herself before she could continue. He sounded so sincere. "Even if I kick you when you are down?"

"Even if you kick me when I am down."

Now that should not have been this sincere either. Arihnda swallowed hard but it was too late to backtrack now. "Will you let me carry you?"

Thrawn stared unblinking. Then his eyes narrowed. "A reverse lift."

Arihnda nodded eagerly.

"An apology?"

"A commitment."

"Show it to me." He began to get up revealing that he was indeed wearing not much at all, actually nothing at all. Arihnda crouched on the bed uncertain how she had brought that upon herself.

Thrawn realised something was amiss and took a sheet with as much dignity an excited naked man could. It helped that he was excited about ice dancing.

"It may be a little late," Arihnda offered. "I mean, theoretically, three in the morning is very early, but..."

Thrawn froze. "You woke me for this at three in the morning?" He asked calmly.

"I didn't think of the time," she admitted, looking down on her hands.

"Arihnda." Thrawn sat down on the bed with nothing but a sheet held before him and looked her in the eyes. "Go to bed."

Arihnda swallowed again and licked her lips nervously as her eyes darted around.

"Not mine," he sighed. "And I can't believe I'm saying this myself. Shoo!"

Arihnda bolted, trying to process his words. When she did, she leant heavily against her door, breathing as heavy as she felt. That had been – unexpected.

 

* * *

 

Even more unexpected was practically getting rolled out of her bed at half past five in the morning by Thrawn and manhandled to the ice rink.

"Show me now." He almost threw her onto the ice.

"Alone?" Arihnda skated away from him backwards, going through a few warming up moves.

"I have been told you fancy yourself able to do that."

Arihnda blushed, reminded of her solo performance of his last season's ice dance with Natasi. But if she was to make a fool out of herself, she might just as well get over with it before Yularen arrived. Now that was a conversation she had been avoiding.

She started, feeling exceedingly silly. Running a commentary on the routine did not really help. Words were crude instruments to describe the movements of the body. Especially if that body was to be Thrawn's.

Also, she felt very watched with the red eyes glued to her. It made her very aware of every hitch and hesitation. Her whole body felt like a burning sore when she finally finished.

"Are you sure?" Thrawn asked skating towards her. "The reverse lift right at the end?"

"You sad I had the stamina." Arihnda tried not to show how hard she was breathing.

"I did." He swirled around her lazily. "Say, did the subject of the programme change?"

Since she was already beet red, Arihnda shrugged. "It is now 'What I Want' instead of 'Who I am'."

"Interesting." He came to a halt. "And the music?"

Arihnda skated towards the barrier, hiding her smirk. She put the track on and pressed play. Then she turned very slowly. Thrawn's face went through a whole range of emotions, most of them not happy ones. Finally he settled for careful neutrality. It quivered once or twice before the end but held.

When the track was through, he skated up to her and took her hands into his. "Where is he now and can I kill him?"

"I don't now and no" Arihnda squeezed his hands shortly and let go. "But for a loser idiot from this forsaken rock it was probably high courting."

"It's not that bad."

"Thrawn, it is one of the worst songs ever composed and the only thing that insistent guy had going for him was that at least he hadn't written it."

"And that is really what you want?" Thrawn didn't sound convinced.

"If I had to suffer this song, so does everybody else." She smiled. "Also to hope to turn it into something nice to remember."

At that moment Yularen strode into the rink, ready to start their daily exercises. He accepted the short dance with its music well enough and set put to plan the perfect exercising routines for it.

It was magic. Even in broken pieces, the choreography resonated with her, made her grin even through the most gruelling parts. This was what she wanted indeed. Though a little less Yularen shouting at them from behind the barrier would be acceptable.

They ended earlier that evening because the assignments for the Grand Prix were to be announced. Arihnda was not used to sharing that moment, much less with all of her family and friends. But Juahir had organised a get-together and it was raining down confetti on Arihnda and Thrawn who had to preside at the table as if it was a banquet.

Arihnda wanted to bolt. It felt very premature to celebrate anything when she hadn't even set a blade onto ice in a competition at all this season. But everybody seemed to have a great time. Maybe because they feared it was the last time they got to celebrate anything this season? Arihnda batted the thought away.

There were six Grand Prix competitions each season and the six best skaters got to compete in the Grand Prix Final on Coruscant. The core worlds competed on Corellia this time; the two Mid Rim competitions were held on Naboo and Alderaan. But Arihnda and Thrawn had been assigned to two of the three Outer Rim competitions: Ryloth and Mandalore. The last competition was on Sluis Van.

"Arihnda," Thrawn asked quietly when the excitement had died down. "Are you even qualified for the Grand Prix competitions?"

"Well." Arihnda felt her face catch fire once again. She had been in very much of a slump after placing last in the Grand Prix Final. She had lost all other competitions and managed to lose her set place in the Grand Prix series as well.

"Now that will be interesting. I haven't done local qualifications for a long time." He was taking it exceedingly well, Arihnda decided. What an embarrassment, dragging the icon of ice dancing so low as to the local qualification round.

"It will be fun," Juahir chimed in. "Maketh Tua will be there too. You remember her? She defeated you in the nationals last season and that was he debut in the seniors."

"Thanks for reminding me, Juahir," Arihnda sighed. Beaten by a junior, well almost junior. For a moment she wished she really had given up on ice dancing. Had hung the skates on the wall and kicked Thrawn's blue arse right back to Coruscant where it belonged.

Unfortunately, that blue arse was sitting comfortably at her family's table as if it belonged to him and looking less unhappy than anticipated. And that despite her mother holding on to his right biceps, shaking it happily as she detailed how great the whole season as going to be.

Arihnda prayed she would let go again, though she understood the urge not to. Those were some strong arms. Which was beside the point, really. "Thank you mum." She reached across Thrawn's chest but only got her mother's other hand.

"We will cheer for you!" He father agreed. "You will win big this time and we can open up Shaft 4 as underground spa with the winnings."

It was to wail out loud. But Arihnda did not. Thrawn was not either. If anything he looked quietly happy to be embroiled in this family disaster. For the first time ever, Arihnda wondered where his family was and why she never heard of them before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided on a programme to base their short dance on. [This one by Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat.](https://youtu.be/VQ9WFj2_FIg) Only with less flailing and the reverse lift at the end being the one I glued too the end of the vid and those jumps really need to be in there somewhere, too...


	6. Face Beet-Red!! It's the First Competition. The Local Lothal Championships

The Lothal Championships were taking place in Capital City. That meant they did not lose any time for travelling and could work on their routines until the very last. Thrawn got easily used to the short programme she put together. Syncing was not the main focus any longer and Yularen was shouting a lot, probably an attempt to drown out the music.

Arihnda hadn't expected everybody to be so compliant. After all those were her ideas untested and, well, hers. But that was okay. Thrawn suggested a few tweaks, nothing fancy, just effective. And when Yularen wondered if the final reverse lift would have more of an impact if not announced in the first almost lift where Thrawn shortly sat on her thigh, Arihnda considered, took a whole two days to mull it over and agreed.

Nobody was doubting her, nobody questioned her decisions. Everybody acted as if, of course, she was the right person to make such decisions. She was a pro ice dancer after all. If it had been only her family and Juahir, Arihnda would have blamed it on dancing with Thrawn but since he and Yularen also treated her like an equal, she really found no excuses for disbelief.

But belief didn't come to her any easier. Believing in herself was out of the question. Believing those around her sounded like a sound plan but collided hard with believing in herself. So she tried to distract herself and took up Thrawn on his offers now and then. A caf between training units, a stroll after dinner. But definitely no vids and _no_ pools.

It was a weird experience. There had to be talking. About things. Things that were not ice dancing. Thrawn did very well but she mostly stumbled along. It could not really be of interest to him how she Juahir or how closing down the mine had gone. But he asked and she replied and sometimes things resembled conversation.

Thrawn did not even mention his own family though, even when Arihnda carefully crafted openings for that kind of anecdote. The only time he almost spoke about it was when Arihnda wondered what he was thinking of when putting together Agape. Thrawn had alluded to a big family and a brother and changed the topic fast. It was frustrating. And somebody had to know something. But how to ask without prying when he obviously didn't want to talk about it?

Also, Yularen didn't know anything, not that she asked him. It was just a subject Thrawn carefully avoided and Yularen saw no reason to probe. His pupils danced well enough without him knowing details about their personal life, so why worry. It was not as if it was impeding anybody.

Arihnda found no solution to her gnawing curiosity. Not even re-reading her accumulated library on the galaxy's favourite ice dancing champion. Which had naturally just been done to be sure she only threw away stuff the didn't need any longer. It had been a surprisingly small heap.

The upcoming competition was a welcome change in pace. It took her mind mostly of everything that was not perfecting the two routines. There would be a little time between the local qualifications and the first Grand Prix but that was for fine tuning. And if she kicked Thrawn in the jaw with her blade only once, everything could be over, so she better get that down pat. And not cutting him to smithereens in the curve list, or, possibly cutting of other important bis when her skate was in his crotch area. Now that had been a very irresponsible choice of a lift.

But so far all his bits, vital and not, had survived, she had not kicked him hard once and she had practised walking over him on meilooruns, most of which ended up as punch for the spa immediately after. But that was ok because Thrawn had not needed stitches. Despite all that, for reasons Arihnda didn't want to examine, the short dance was easier for her.

Since the competition was held in Capital City, they did not have far to travel. All of them went, too: her parents, Juahir with Driller and the kids. It felt a little like a day trip to the zoo. They had not packed snacks or food for the animals, but there was animated chatting and laughter. It felt painfully homely.

Arihnda tried to focus, but it was difficult. The attempts to draw her into the conversation abated as time went on. It was giving her much needed time to concentrate and still it hurt. Juahir looked apologetic as she removed one of her daughters from tapping insistently on Arihnda's knee. Thrawn was entertaining the other two with some kind of story on the other side of the transport. She didn't know how he did it.

Thrawn looked relaxed. Not at all as if there was an important competition coming up. Well, maybe because it was not important on his scale at all. Just some local qualifications he didn't have to bother with for the last years. Arihnda closed her eyes and leant her face against the cold transparisteel. Deep breaths. This, too, would pass.

They parted ways at the rink, Arihnda, Thrawn and Yularen entering through the athlete's entrance while the others blended into the crowd that was already gathered. Thrawn really did bring in an audience. But when did such high class athletes as him ever visit backwater places like this?

Arihnda looked at the list of competing pairs once more. It did not matter. She only had to beat them all. They. She took another deep breath. They had to beat them all. They looked like a zoo of vagabonds in their sweat suits, waiting to draw their starting positions. Naturally, they had the first pick.

Thrawn pushed her forwards, all gentleman like. There was no graceful way to back out of that. She was very aware of a young blonde woman watching her every movement. It was most disconcerting. Drawing the number one did not help. Arihnda did not want to be the first, and certainly not with the short dance she herself had arranged and the music she had chosen and -

The blonde woman was almost doubled over making small noises. When she finally looked up, her eyes were wide and there was an almost manic grin on her face. "I can't believe I can see this with my own eyes!" She thrilled. "Arihnda Pryce, drawing number one right before my eyes! I love seeing you draw the first spot right before my eyes again!"

Arihnda looked at the little plaque in her hand; looked at the excitedly quivering woman, looked at her hand again. She exhaled slowly. Nothing to be done about that.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Her voice was suddenly shaky and she balled her fists, trying to get her lip and eyes under control again. "You don't remember me at all."

Arihnda cast a glance at Thrawn. He was shaking his head looking disappointed. Well. Maybe the young woman was somebody she _should_ know? The face was somewhat familiar, as was the blond man sitting beside her. Not that anybody should be able to forget mutton chops like that.

It came to her in an embarrassing flash when her name was called to get her starting position. _Maketh Tua_. She and her partner Alexandr Kallus had beaten her in the Lothal Cup last season. It had been their first season as seniors and they had beaten her and Ottlis, favourites for the whole sector and seasoned ice dancers.

Arihnda felt her cheeks catch fire. What a rut she had been in. But not any longer. Arihnda looked at Thrawn. This time, she would do good, she would damn well win this thing. He was still looking somewhat disappointed. Well, she'd change that soon enough.

Warm up was going alright. Arihnda knew she was overthinking things again. But she had never presented the short dance before and it was so much hers that the thought hurt in itself. What if people didn't like it? What if she was set up to be the laughing stock of Lothal?

No, that couldn't be. Yularen and Thrawn would not allow it. Their reputation was on the line with hers. So, no pressure at all. The rink was all sold out and more again. Thrawn was bringing in the audience all right. Again, no pressure. Everybody would be watching. It would be alright.

Thought it might just help if Maketh Tua stopped ogling her ever movement. It was distracting and probably bad manners. The truly irritating thing about it was that Maketh was indeed actually looking at her, not at Thrawn. Looking at Thrawn, now that Arihnda understood.

She forced her thoughts back to the task at hand. This was the baptism by fire. She had to prove that she was good enough for the Grand Prix series. Nothing else mattered. The other skaters didn't matter. Being watched didn't matter. Only being good enough for the Grand Prix and not making Thrawn look like an idiot by choosing to skate with her.

The time between warm-up and skating were always the most tense. It didn't help that they would go first. It meant they would be last for the free dance but what help was that now? She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing.

She could hear Thrawn talk close to hear ear, babbling something about what to say before they started their program. It was kinda nice even if she didn't understand anything, focussed on being calm as she was. She exhaled slowly and lowered her head.

When Thrawn suddenly embraced her from behind, it was his luck that he had put his head next to hers. Otherwise she would have rammed his nose through the back of his skull, her head flew up like that.

"Play me with all you have, Arihnda," he murmured into her ear. "If you can enthral me, the audience will have no chance at all."

Arihnda stood rigid. Cameras were going off all around them, their bright flash-lights making her blink. She was tempted to sock him in the face anyway, nosebleed or no. It was only fair they started the routine on even ground. Taking a deep breath she took a step forwards.

Thrawn let her go without resistance, following her to the ice as if this was something they routinely did before skating. It made her inexplicably angry. When the horrible song started up, it only fuelled the anger. As if. No way. She'd show him. She'd bloody well show everybody!

She slunk through the first movements, waiting for the reaction of the crowd. There was none. It was infuriating, though the choice of music might have something to do with it. She turned under Thrawn's hand and allowed him to put her arm around his shoulder. He saw something worth pursuing here.

She pushed him away with her hip forcefully. Thrawn saw something. And he still saw it when she was clinging to him like the last hoe, as if she had not just squashed his hopes just because she could. They went through the first step combination and the audience warmed up a little.

 _They would still prefer Natasi dance this_. Arihnda couldn't shake the thought. Here she was, almost standing on his crotch, waving her other skate around his head in perfect balance and they still wanted Natasi. _And what about him?_

She turned lightly out of his grip only to return and balance on his skates as he moved them across the ice. Now the crowd reacted. It was silly move, cute to look at, something below the standards of icons the Thrawn and Natasi had been. It helped.

Surprisingly enough, so did his hands on her hips, on her arms, on her legs. It was familiar. And the fun parts were all still to come.

It started with his comm beeping. She left him in the middle of a pirouette, returned to slap it out of his hand. Pushing Thrawn down on the ice was good. It released some of her pent-up anger. So did kicking him even if it was just make-believe. The crowd was starting to cheer. They were getting a show. Not an artful, stilted expression of whathaveyou but a show, good as any on the holonet.

Even if that didn't win them any points with the judges, it felt good. The gasps of the crowd carried Arihnda lightly over Thrawn's stomach and left him for trash. They cheered even more when he did not give in, the jumps got spontaneous applause. It didn't even matter that they completely mismatched for a twizzle. As soon as Thrawn was taking his jacket off, everything else was forgotten.

Arihnda had never felt so at home on the ice, certainly not during a competition. She glanced at Thrawn wondering how much of her confidence came from him. They caught each other in the double pirouette, leaning close and she could not have taken her eyes off him if she had tried.

Thrawn smiled a little and winked before releasing her into the last step sequence before the reverse lift. It was an unexpected boost. An expression of confidence that she had what it took to execute this. Trust in her abilities of ice dancing. It took her breath away in a good way.

The reaction to the reverse lift was everything she had imagined and more. The crowd cheered, there was applause and whistling, people standing up and shouting. It was almost enough to make her forget she carried Thrawn at all. But she remembered to put him down before it was too late.

He glided back onto the ice cone to a stop lying on his side with his hands outstretched to her. His smile had grown into a veritable grin.

Arihnda broke her role for a moment, grinning right back. Then the reality of the situation crash into her. They had done it, danced her routine, the bloody miserable thing she had doggedly cobbled together and had put the most annoying song ever over.

And the audience approved. Thrawn approved. Yularen too. Arihnda blinked and took Thrawn's hand on automatic. They bowed to the audience and finally left the ice. The judges were not yet ready with their maths so they sat and waited.

Arihnda didn't know what she was more acutely aware off, the cameras of the galaxy shooting her in close ups or Thrawn sitting so close that she could almost feel his body touching hers. His legs opened a little further, but he retracted as soon as their knees touched. It was confusing and a stomach burning way.

Yularen was sitting with them already lecturing again. "The first half was good but you were so focussed on the last lift your technique got sloppy as soon as you stepped off Thrawn..."

It was all true. But right now it did not matter. They had done it, done it well. He muscles were relaxing slowly the rush of adrenaline abating, letting her feel the exertion. It wasn't an easy program. She wasn't even putting everything into her expression yet and still her body shivered like leaves in the wind.

While they were waiting, Arihnda looked around. The audience had calmed down gain, waiting for the scores with them. Next to the ice, Maketh Tua was excitedly talking to her coach. The was a fire burning in her eyes as she imitated a few of Arihnda's moves.

Arihnda frowned. It didn't look as if the young woman was making fun of her. It looked a lot more like, well, what she had done. Something hot started to creep up her face. At that moment, Thrawn put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her attention back to the scoreboard. Well, mostly the scoreboard. Well, the scoreboard as well.

When he saw the burgeoning blush, Thrawn smiled and squeezed her shoulder. He was probably used to people imitating him in awe. Who would not? She had for sure, for years and years. Arihnda glanced at Maketh who seemed to have calmed down. When the young woman saw her looking, she waved wildly shouting.

Arihnda raised her hand tentatively in response. Maketh flailed even worse, grinning from ear to ear. She turned to her trainer again but Arihnda didn't see what transpired because their score was announced. It was a solid five points over her personal best. It didn't reach any of Thrawn's usual scores, naturally, but he didn't seem fazed.

They left the couch walking slowly to the are where the media teams were already waiting. Thrawn still had his arm around her shoulder. It was very nice until he leant closer. "There was no pressure today," he murmured into he ear. "I thought you'd score in over 79 by far."

No pressure? Arihnda was close to slapping him. They had presented a routine put together by her for the first time to an actual audience for the first time and their participation in the Grand Prix series depended on them winning this. No fucking pressure? In which galaxy was that man living?

He and Natasi had routine scored over 80, usually at 82 or even 83. They broke their own records as easily as other skates broke their ankles. It was a daunting thing, that he had actually expected her to score that high. She was good, better with him, but that good? Arihnda shook her head tuning into the running interview. Thrawn sure was not one for waiting.

"How do you feel looking ahead to the free dance?" One of the reporters was asking.

Arihnda took a deep breath. She was feeling a great many things concerning that routine.

"Of course you'll see us be perfect," Thrawn replied before she could open her mouth though. "We have timed our performance to peak at the Grand Prix Finale."

They what now? Arihnda turned to look at him, But Thrawn was right at home, smiling and nodding at the reporters. She always hated this part. What was there to tell? She'd do her best and hope for the best.

"We are concentrating on the technical elements right now, "Thrawn continued unperturbed. "There is still time to work on our expression..."

Arihnda tuned out again, her attention grabbed by Maketh Tua running towards them wildly excited.

"… so we will take it easy and just go for a new personal best for her," Thrawn concluded the interview.

"Did you see it?" Maketh was practically running on the spot. "Did you see my performance of Cinderella?"

"We were being interviewed," Arihnda replied. "So I didn't, sorry."

"But," the young woman deflated, "I was doing it pretty perfect too. And I had a costume made similar to the one from your famous Cinderella program from your junior years!"

A sudden blush swept over Arihnda's face. That had been an embarrassing routine. She remembered it well indeed, complete with colour-changing outfit. Fortunately, Maketh's outfit did not look as if it did that. Instead it had a most tasteful ombre effect going from a deep grey to pristine white.

"This is much better than the monstrosity I chose in my idiocy-" Arihnda began.

"It was not idiocy!" Maketh cut her short. "You never did anything stupid, it was glorious! I have always looked up to you and Ottlis, too. So don't say such things and make fun of me."

Arihnda didn't know what to say to that. People looking up to here were not the way the galaxy worked. Additionally, Kallus was coming up to them standing like a protective wall behind Maketh. "I-," Arihnda began again and was once more cut off my Maketh.

"I always tried to catch up to you," the young woman declared. "And tomorrow in the free dance we will give everything to beat you! So give it all you have as well. We don't want to win because you slacked." Grabbing her partner, Maketh stomped towards the waiting reporters.

Arihnda couldn't help but smile at such fiery determination. Then she remembered that Maketh and Kallus had actually beaten her in the last season. That was not a happy realisation.

"Let's go." Thrawn took her hand and dragged her to the exit. "Let's catch the family before they leave for the night."

Arihnda hastened to keep up with him. As athletes they had rooms reserved nearby, but Elainye had put her foot down at accepting rooms paid by Thrawn. They were living close by and there was no reasons for room their current budget was not able to cover.

Also, and Arihnda was not sure whether to be optimistic about it, it would give her mother the chance to prepare some home-made Loth-rat pie. Just in case. The thought made her mouth water.

"Hello, did your mind leave with them?" Thrawn was waving a hand before her eyes.

Arihnda shook herself free from the prospect of future Loth-rat pie. It was difficult. But she only had to win this and that pie dream would become true. "No, I'm here." Even to herself that sounded stupid.

"Good." Thrawn took her hand and off again. "Now a cup of caf. We should talk about the free dance tomorrow-"

Arihnda stopped, tugging at his hand hard. "Thrawn?" It was more squeaky than she had wanted.

"Yes?"

"Can we," she took a deep breath, "can we maybe talk about something else than skating?"

Thrawn looked at her for a moment. Then he nodded. "Of course. And if that doesn't work, we can always go back to the free dance."

 

* * *

 

One caf had become two had become three had become too much caf to sleep. Arihnda rubbed her eyes and tried to shake the weariness. It has seemed like such a good idea. And it had actually worked well. Right until she had mentioned something concerning his family from which point on the free dance had been the subject of choice.

She needed to be more careful. She also had to decide if she wanted to pursue that subject or leave it to whatever darkness Thrawn had banned it to. Arihnda thought of her parents. What would it take to make her never talk about them again? She had an easier time thinking of why you'd never talk _to_ them again.

The warm up was pretty relaxed. They still had a comfortable lead after the short dance. Arihnda didn't know how to feel. She had never had such a lead. All they had to do was skate okay. They'd win. No pressure at all, as Thrawn would say. Arihnda wasn't as sure. There was always the pressure of not disappointing her family, friends and newly added to this list, Thrawn.

She saw Maketh and Kallus in a brightly coloured fantasy uniform including a questionably tasteful helmet. Arihnda remembered that the young woman liked military marches and often choreographed her free dance to them. A popular choice, especially on the core worlds.

Maketh caught her looking and waved. It was a tiny gesture, almost invisible loaded with embarrassment, excitement and disbelief. There was a blush starting to show. She almost skated into the barrier.

It was painful to watch. But not because it was embarrassing. Arihnda inhaled deeply. She could see way too much of herself in Maketh. The hopeless fangirling, the idolisation of somebody she hardly knew, the desperate desire to be recognised in any way by her idol.

When warm up was over, Arihnda left the ice, mulling over the few interactions she had had with Thrawn before he had showed up in her parents' pool. As impressive as each of them was for her, she doubted Thrawn would remember even a quarter of them. She looked at the young woman preparing with her partner.

It wasn't life that gave you lemons. It was people that didn't know any better, people who didn't really care, who nodded in your general direction as they walked past and let your head do the rest. Life was a ball of shit if you let it. But it didn't have to. Arihnda looked at Thrawn. Maybe late was better than never. You didn't have to be late, though. She walked back to the barrier, curling her fingers around the polished edge.

"Rock out, Maketh! Rock out!" Arihnda didn't care her voice could clearly be heard over the crowd. Maketh looked at her and Arihnda gave her the biggest grin and two thumbs up. "You go, girl!"

The transformation was visible. The way Maketh held herself and Kallus hand. There was a challenge to the world in her. When the first fanfare flared up, so did Maketh, consumed by an inner fire it felt she had to melt the ice under her blades and set the rink aflame. Yeah, Thrawn had never done that for sure.

Arihnda found that she really enjoyed watching the two toy soldiers on the ice, swaying this way and that, riding into battle and mourning their wounded. It was unclear if the story was one of friendship or love. It probably didn't matter.

When the pair left the ice, Arihnda didn't even have to walk up to Maketh. She was almost jumping at her, and clasping her shoulder it was at the same time friendly as well as putting a firm distance between them.

"You are really good," Arihnda said and glanced at Kallus shortly. "Both of you. That was excellent. Very snappy, very crisp and exact."

Maketh started glowing but was stopped from fangirly self-combustion by having to leave for the scoring area. Arihnda watched her bounce away, talking Kallus' ear off already. So this was how it worked. Or could work.

"Arihnda?" Thrawn stood right behind her when she turned, looking down at her slightly worried.

"I need to focus, calm down, no people." Arihnda wondered what it was about him that made her ability to communicate clearly deteriorate so badly.

"I know that crowds make you nervous," he replied. "Not the best of all traits in our business."

Arihnda managed to smile as she walked past him. "Working on it."

She made her way to the locker rooms, and from there into the guts of the rink where janitors and cleaning bots reigned. It was quite down here and the smell of duracreet and metal reminded her of the mines back home. She needed that feeling of calm and safety now.

It didn't matter that Thrawn was confident they could not lose. It didn't matter they had a lead that made losing difficult. There was crowd out there, hundreds of people, thousands. Being watched was not one of her strengths. She had made it so far, but it had always been uncomfortable. There were times she had lost herself enough in the routines not to notice, but the smallest mistake would pull her right out. And there were a lot of mistakes she could make this time.

But she didn't have to. She knew her steps, knew the choreography, knew her twizzles and could do the lifts almost in her sleep. One of them did invade her sleep now and then but that was beside the point and not helping. At least not out on the ice. She took a deep breath. She could make it, would make it, had to. Because what would Thrawn think of her if she failed now? What would her parents think? Juahir? There was too much at stake.

So she would not make any mistakes. She would place he skates just right for the curve lift. She would fall when she had to fall and Thrawn would catch her. Fake it 'til you make it. That's what they said. She had done a very bad job at faking it so far. It was high time to do better.

And there were people who actually believed in her. Like Maketh Tua who didn't know any better. But she didn't have to find out about her misconception either. All Arihnda had to do was look flawless and confident. It couldn't be that hard. Taking slow breaths, Arihnda focussed on the woman who needed to go back out there and win this competition.

When she had found her it was about their turn to skate. Arihnda cast a last look at the grey walls and pipes. Then she turned and made her way back. Her face settled in a neutral determination. She held herself straight and even straighter when she saw the first people. Thrawn was standing at the rink, looking relieved when he saw her approach.

Arihnda smiled and took his hand. Together they entered the rink and as the day before, embraced each other shortly before they moved into position. At the side, Maketh was bouncing and shouting, her excitement more than obvious.

 _Do not disappoint her,_ Arihnda told herself. _Never let her see the truth._

So what was the game again. Make him want you. She glanced at the alien at her side. No, that was not true. For all intents and purposes of the routine, he already did. He wanted nothing more than to finally put his hands on her. The real game was making him work for it.

Well, that was about as real as the confident Arihnda that had emerged from the locker rooms. So, why not? She grinned a challenge at Thrawn, pulling her shoulder back a little further as the music started.

She was the Loth-rat pie that all desired, but especially that blue-skinned honk standing opposite. And hell and high water if she didn't make him work hard every step along the way if he wanted to eat her. This was her game. She didn't want that ferocious hunger and unbridled desire. She wanted true appreciation, commitment, the promise of the second part of their routine.

They circled each other and Arihnda felt a wolfish smile on her face. Oh she would turn this man's savage wants into something more steady and palatable. The true power of Loth-rat pie. He wouldn't know what hit him and he would not be able to resist. She jumped and felt his hands catch her, press her against his torso safely.

Was that what he wanted? She whirled out of his hold down his side back towards the ice, allowed him to lift her, hold her for a few precious moments. Then she stood on her own again, asserting that this was her game. Her rules. He better work hard for the morsels she'd throw him.

The music carried her away and Arihnda managed to lose herself in the movements. The dream, the game, the chase, it felt more real than the competition. The tug-of-war with Thrawn on the ice was everything. Nothing else mattered and when he lifted her to his face, the world held its breath with her, balanced on knife's edge. But he let her go again, untouched, allowing the chase to continue.

And so they slipped into the second half, the mellowed continuation of the chase with a different approach. She softened in her first fall, being caught again but gentler this time, cautious, unbelieving of the change. But they continued in flowy movements, turned away from the graphic implications of sex towards something more complicated, something more kind and durable.

The final pose was like a bucket of cold water. Arihnda looked up at Thrawn who was still staring at her throat as if hoping to find the secret of life there. He caught himself and straightened her. Then they bowed to the audience which was raging. Arihnda looked around in surprise. She had not noticed the change of mood.

But the crowd was pleased to say the least. Signs were shaken wildly, clapping and whistles abounded, a short attempt at chanting 'sexy' was made. So they had made it. Probably. Arihnda felt good about their performance, but she had misjudged before. She didn't notice that she was still holding on to Thrawn's hand until her gently extracted his fingers to sheathe his skates.

Their final score didn't scrape the 200 but it was a personal best for her by far. And with some more practice… Arihnda found herself dreaming and holding Thrawn's hand again. He didn't seem averse and just smiled when she shot him an apologetic look.

When they left the scoring area, Arihnda was almost run over by Maketh. The young woman bounced to a stop and on the spot. She attempted speaking a few times before actual words made it out of her mouth. "We totally had no chance against you! It was so raw, so real. Arihnda how do you do that?"

"At first, " Arihnda shrugged. Once she found out, she would sure have to fond a way to implement it systematically. Until then, she would have to whatever. Maketh would even make something solid out of the truth. Arihnda smiled. "I was just desperate because I didn't want to lose, but somehow I started having a lot of fun in the middle. I don't remember a lot about it."

"Your pure charm became rich Eros in the best form of betrayal possible!" Maketh exclaimed. "And that naughty lift? So amazing. For me that was worth a Grade Of Execution of 3 million points!"

Arihnda remembered how such shining eyes felt from inside. It was poignant now. Painful in a happy way she had not expected.

"I want to face you in the Grand Prix Series someday! Until then, please don't quit!"

Those words hit Arihnda hard. This might be her last season. She was getting older and Thrawn would certainly want to move on to the professionals. Who would ever want her as partner when he left? She put on a smile, grateful that Maketh had no problem running a whole conversation on her own.

"And," the young woman suddenly looked very young indeed and also shy, "please give me your autograph?"

Arihnda looked stupidly at the picture of herself and pen shoved under her nose. The what now? She looked back at Maketh's face, full of hope, anticipation and dread. "Alright." I could have come out more confident. But it had come out. So. "You want a picture, too?"

Maketh lit up like a Christmas tree, throwing her comm to Kallus. "Yes, yes, yes. Only the two of us. Girl's night out! Oh, yes!"

There was nothing Arihnda could do but grin at such enthusiasm. When she stepped away again, she could see a few of the other contestants, looking at her expectantly as well. One of them held the pen and paper visibly before them. Oh. Arihnda glanced at Thrawn who swooped right in, providing a safe backdrop for these unexpected interactions.

"Time for the press conference." Thrawn began to lead her away when the last photo had been taken.

"Press conference?" Arihnda pouted. "I was looking forward to an early dinner."

"You can eat Loth-rat pie later." Thrawn paused. " _We_ can eat later. After the press conference. Back home. I am sure your mother is wrecking the kitchen already."

"They didn't wait?" Arihnda was suddenly disappointed.

"They were waiting to talk to you after the scores were announced but you were busy with Maketh. So I talked to them." He sounded so matter-of-fact. Who had appointed him liaison to her family anyway? "Elainye was torn between taking you home and welcoming you with home-made Loth-rat pie. She can't do both now, can she?"

It was unfortunately tight reasoning. Arihnda took a slow breath. And she could see her mother whirling through the kitchen with that happy smile on her face. Elainye sometimes complained that it was near impossible to do something nice for her. Well, that as about to change. Arihnda smiled to her self. There would be plenty of reason to do something nice this season. She'd be exceptionally good. She would make sure of that.

"Are you ready?" Thrawn pulled her from her thoughts.

Arihnda shook herself, and put on another smile. Yes, she was ready. One more show, this time for the whole world to see. As soon as they entered the room, Arihnda spotted Juahir and Driller in the audience with their children. Juahir was making supportive gestures and faces, cheering as silently as possible.

Arihnda looked at Thrawn at her side. He just smiled and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder. And her mother, racing home to have her favourite dish ready when she arrived. Arihnda's throat tightened. She was not fighting this season alone.

Now that Thrawn was here it seemed so obvious. The support rolling in from all sides. But it wasn't any different from other seasons, was it? It had always been there, quietly buoying her along. The certainty felt ancient and at the same time everything felt so new. Like opening new eyes and realising the old ones might just have had glaucoma.

She listened as Thrawn talked about their plans for the season, the routines and how they meshed, how the subjects fit perfectly and made one whole unit expressing love in its different shades and expressions.

"But I am talking all by myself again," Thrawn concluded. "It is time I let my partner speak for herself. She is half of our success."

Arihnda took a deep breath. One half of their success. Oh dear. They were certainly doomed. Or not, she had to stop thinking like that. She had to use her newfound eyes to see what was out there.

"I've been helped by many people in my competitive skating career thus far, but I never thought about 'love' until now," she began haltingly. "Though I was blessed with support, I couldn't take full advantage of it or turn it into success. I always felt like I was fighting alone. But since Thrawn became my partner, I am seeing things differently."

She took a moment to look at him. His face was carefully neutral. She bit her lip but continued. "My love is not something clear-cut like romantic love and desire. It is more complicated and involved like that, encompassing with all my heart my relationships with him, my family, friends and home planet.

"I was finally able to realise that love exists all around me. And it has been there all the time and I was blind and for that I apologise." Arihnda looked straight into the camera hoping her mother would pause to watch at least this. After a long moment she turned to look Juahir in the eye as well.

"Thrawn is the person who made me consciously realise this. I don't really have a name for that emotion, so I decided to call it 'love' for now." She turned and smiled at him, hoping to lighten his mood. Her attempt fell flat though and his mien didn't change the least. Arihnda swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Time to analyse that one later.

"And for this I am strong and will become even stronger and prove it with a gold medal at the Grand Prix Finale!" She didn't dare look at him. But if this commitment didn't make him happy, nothing would. And she'd rather not know that nothing it would be.

She went through the rest of the questions on autopilot, almost dreading the drive home and the enthusiasm of her parents. There was a decided damper on her mood and not even Juahir could lift it. She felt ready to curl up between the children and pretend she was not really there.

But of course that was not an option. She found herself staring at the garish neon sign of her parents' spa unable to enter. Thrawn stood beside her, she didn't even know why or if he was getting impatient. Finally she forced herself to look at him.

He was looking straight back, face still serious. "It's actually love, though," he just said. Arihnda didn't know if there was a hint of sadness in it. She didn't get time to analyse it either, because he took her hand and led her home.


	7. The Outer Rim's On! The Grand Prix Series Opening Event!! Outer Rim Cup on Ryloth!

The Loth-rat pie when they returned victorious from the Lothal Local Competition had been everything. Arihnda remembered every bite, every flavour, the crunchiness of the crust, the softly yielding filling, the tangy taste of the rat, and swirl of spices only her mother managed to get right. It was perfect. It was not enough even though she had a stomach ache from overeating afterwards.

Also, Thrawn didn't stop teasing her about those small happy noises she apparently made when eating extra good food. Fuck him. He probably did the same and she was just too engrossed in eating herself to care. So yeah. Fuck him.

She started watching Thrawn. Not like before, gaping at his every movement and finding excused to take an interest in the finer points of anatomy. She had gotten to know those more intimately than expected, and partly even desired, already. The image of Thrawn declaring to be her new partner came up unbidden at the most unfortunate moments.

Now she watched how he acted, talked, who he was presenting to be. And he was indeed a most charming, outgoing person, easy to talk to, easy to get to know – superficially. Likes and dislikes of subjects appropriate for social interactions, a wide range of trivia and anecdotes. But overall, she knew about as much about him now as she had when he was just a dream too far to reach.

He didn't seem to have any hobbies, preferred music or entertainment, all food was good though some was best. It was frustrating. A perfectly amiable exterior, got along splendid with everybody, her parents doted on the blue-skinned idiot who accepted it gracefully and gratefully. Without slipping a single bit of his real personality. There had to be one. Nobody could be so perfectly normal and agreeable.

Arihnda also watched her family and friends, but nobody seemed to find anything strange about Thrawn. If anything, they treated him a little less enthusiastic than her. A painful observation making her angry, happy, and wanting to cry at the same time. Not that their support went so far as to serve Loth-rat pie as a motivator as their last dinner before leaving for Ryloth.

It was the third event in the series, so they had had time to work on their routines. So far none of the places in the Grand Finale were set in stone. After Ryloth all skaters would have skated at least once and their chances would start to become clear. Arihnda didn't know how she felt, starting so late into the event. Everybody had such a head start on her zero points. On the other hand, their programs were turning out more than she had expected from herself.

Thrawn seemed unsurprised. Another thing that felt good and hurt at the same time. How should he know how good she was when she didn't herself. Not that she'd believe herself but that was a different problem. She looked around the table. Nobody had noticed her zoning out.

"So," Juahir turned to her while her parents grilled Thrawn over some details of life on Coruscant, "are you ready to face off with Ottlis?"

Arihnda put down her fork. Ottlis. She was not keen on seeing him again ever. But he was there and so was her former trainer Ghadi. "I don't know."

"Of course she's ready." Thrawn leant over her plate. "You have seen her. She has the routines down pat and all will hinge on the expression." Then he turned his face towards Arihnda, his nose barely an inch from hers. "You can boost your expression even further, I know you can."

Arihnda tried to ignore his breath on her face and the very soft tone of his voice and the fact that he might put a hand down into her noodles any moment. Overall it was nice, sitting squeezed in between him and Juahir. And she was used to his lacking respect for personal space. She liked him in her personal space but that was neither here nor there.

"I guess you'll have to beat him," Juahir grinned. "That or meet him in the Grand Finale on Coruscant again."

Arihnda was certain that looking down at her plate intently didn't hide her ferocious blush. "Yeah," she whispered. "I guess so."

"Don't worry!" Thrawn nudged her not so gently. "We'll drive him and his new girl off the ice weeping. No problem."

On the one hand that was a very nice image. On the other hand Arihnda knew exactly how that felt and didn't wish it on anybody, not even Ottlis.

"And you will be happy to see Kanan and Hera again," Thrawn went on unperturbed.

"Yeah." It was easier to agree than tell him that she had barely spoken to either of them as well. Looking at her career, she had isolated herself pretty well from everybody else. Arihnda sighed. It was stumping why Thrawn assumed her to be friends with everybody. Just because they had been competing in the same league for years – oh dear.

"They're doing an exotic dancer/smitten watcher routine," Thrawn continued. "Kanan showed me his costume it is – scant."

Of course. Arihnda giggled. If anybody would be an exotic dancer on the ice it would be Kanan Jarrus. No way he'd let Hera take the part. But she had difficulties imagining Jarrus in scant outfits. Thrawn now, she could imagine him with a little clothes as she wanted, not least because he had kindly provided a look at no clothes involved at all. Arihnda shovelled noodles into her face quickly before her thoughts escalated.

"We will cheer for you!" Elainye said, "we will watch all trainings and the interviews."

"Thank you mum." Arihnda felt a warm glow that did not harbour guilty feelings.

"You will do your best," her father chimed in. "We are very proud of you!"

The ferocious blush returned. Arihnda looked at her hands with no reply coming to her.

"And with reason!" Thrawn came to her rescue even if his hand on her shoulders didn't feel very safe. "Ari so very good. It will easily be another personal best for her."

Arihnda felt ready to slap and throttle the blue skinned idiot sitting next to her. It was partly calling her Ari in front of her parents when he knew she's kick him if he did so in private. And could count himself lucky if she aimed for his shin. Or because he was once again making boasts of how well she'd do without consulting her first.

No pressure? Sure, tell everybody she would beat herself again, why don't you? Announce that we'll win on top of that. But no, that was too much of a stretch even for Thrawn's imagination. Arihnda sighed. No matter how she turned things, she always ended up losing.

"I'll see you at the competition," Juahir said when she left. "I'll bring signs!"

"Thank you. I will look for them." Arihnda hugged her friend tightly. All this support. Where had her head been all those years? Not screwed on right onto her shoulders that was for sure.

"I don't think I can come to Mandalore not to mention Coruscant." Juahir smiled. "You get around so much."

"I do," Arihnda agreed. "I'll send you lots of pictures."

Juahir's face lit up. "Do that. And cards, and stuff!"

"I will bring you all of the stuff I can find." Arihnda promised. "From everywhere."

"Nervous?" Thrawn asked when they walked to their rooms.

"Yes." Arihnda had no problem admitting it. "You're so good and I'm struggling to keep up and this is all very peculiar. You have no idea."

"You'll be fine." Thrawn stopped before his room and took her by her shoulders. "You're good, Ari. You don't have to doubt yourself."

His voice was so gently that Arihnda forgot to be mad at him for using that impossible shortening of her name. She took a deep breath and tried to hold his gaze. Mesmerising, that was what it was. It made her almost forget herself, her problems, her half-arsed skating career. Before she know, she had covered his hands with her own.

"Help me." The whisper was half drowning in the glow of his eyes.

"I will." His promise reverberated within her bones.

Arihnda believed him. Curled her fingers around his. This could be it. This could be real and she might just be as good as he hoped. If only he stuck around long enough. If only this wasn't her last season and the end for her career in sight. And then, and then. She swallowed hard. He'd leave her. This was all she'd get. This was her life.

Forcing a smile, Arihnda peeled his hands off her shoulders again. "Good night."

She fled into her room, closing the door tightly. This was no good. This was really bad. Her heart fluttered thinking of the intense gaze of Thrawn and other parts of her body reminded Arihnda impolitely of how he did look naked. She curled up on her bed in the tightest ball she managed and tried to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Lessu was as spectacular as Arihnda remembered. The city was built on a steep hill with a plasma bridge as the only entrance from the ground. A skilled pilot had many other options, but usually flight over Lessu was strictly controlled.

The ice rink was halfway up the hill, their hotel nearby. Speeders were rare in the narrow street. It made Arihnda feel at home in a deplorably backwater kind of way. They had a short training as the rink had to be shared between all of the skaters not only ice dancing but the other three disciplines, too. Arihnda watched a pair of figure skater practising jumps and throws. It looked nice, but she had always been scared to do that. Getting thrown around the ice. Nope. No way.

Their interview contained a lot of possibly leery questions about the power of her love. How much did she have, how strong was it really? Arihnda was certain she was missing something. But Thrawn didn't intervene so she tried to answer as neutral as possible. Thrawn made up for that with his usual boasting.

And then he persuaded her to have dinner in a local upscale restaurant. The food looked decidedly foreign which was exactly Thrawn's thing and he began to slurp it all down Arihnda was more careful. They did have an important competition the next day and she didn't want to have cramps or throw up. Maybe it was different if you were used to having all food be foreign anyway.

"You did have to run your mouth like that at the interview, did you?" Arihnda began to try the food.

"You know I like to run my mouth and you don't give me many chances to do so." He looked up with a grin. "I gotta do something to exhaust it."

Arihnda shook her head, concentrating on the food. Most of it looked alright to eat tough she would certainly avoid the wriggly dishes and those looking back at her. "What will people think now if we lose?"

"Ari," Thrawn put down his spoon. "You can't lose. You're with me now. Cheer up. Maybe let your mouth run loose once in a while, see where it takes you."

As if. Arihnda decided to put her mouth to the very good use of eating. Eating food, of course, noodles. Noodles were good. Noodles would never shower her with inappropriate innuendo the way Thrawn did. And it would be the end of her days before she admitted that she liked it.

They were about to finish, when Ottlis passed their table. Arihnda watched in horror as Thrawn invited him to sit down. In return Ottlis gave Gahdi call who joined their table. Arihnda wanted to flee but was squeezed against the wall next to Thrawn.

"Where's your partner?" Arihnda asked. This was not how her perfect evening before a competition looked like. Far from it.

"Oh, the other ice dancers' are having a ladies night. I am surprised you're here."

Arihnda shot Thrawn an accusing look but he ignored her. Not that spending the evening with her competitors sounded especially appealing, but still. How dared he not even tell her and then drag her away from an event she didn't know existed? Also, why had none of the other women told her?

Anger and disappointment mixed in her stomach, removing the last bit of hunger she might have had. Arihnda put the cutlery down and looked at her glass that only contained water. With the current company, vodka would have been better. Anything to make her mind stop. But vodka didn't happen. Instead Thrawn got very friendly with the two men and took forever to leave.

"You can't hide from them forever," Thrawn said as they walked back to their hotel.

Arihnda didn't bother telling him that it wouldn't be forever. Only the remainder of the season. "You have it easy," she said instead. "Next season you'll be skating professionals and they will be out of your sight."

Thrawn stopped. Arihnda walked a few more steps before she noticed. Neither of them moved and for a while they just stood looking at each other on the street.

"What?" Arihnda finally asked.

"Is that what you think?"

"Sure. It makes sense. You're way to good for seniors and Daala has already changed to professional."

"And you?"

Arihnda shrugged. "I'm not getting any younger, no? So it's my last season, yes?"

Thrawn didn't reply, but started walking again. When he was level with her, her took Arihnda's hand and kept walking. She followed reluctantly. This was not an explanation. It wasn't even an answer.

He still hadn't answered much when they prepared for the competition. Arihnda was willing to let is slide. She would not have anything mar her season with Thrawn. This was a good as it got. She was pulled from her thoughts by a hand smacking her ass.

"Why didn't you invite me yesterday?" Kanan pouted as he drew level with her. "Ottlis said he was eating with you and Thrawn."

"Kanan-" Arihnda wasn't sure what to say. But it didn't matter since he interrupted her.

"Looks like you're in top shape again. Guess Yularen is putting you through the grinder in training." He gave her an appreciative once-over that earned him a smack from Hera in return.

"Kanan, how is it going?" Thrawn joined them.

"I'm not really motivated," Kanan replied, which got him slapped again.

"You're always like that at the beginning of the series," Hera told him. Then she turned to Arihnda. "But you better have improved from last season. Beating Thrawn because he is saddled with you isn't worth anything. Make sure he doesn't suffer under your incompetence."

The blood drained from Arihnda's face as she watched them go. Of course she was thinking the very same thing every day all day long, but to hear it said out loud. She took a deep breath and followed Thrawn onto the ice.

The six minutes flew by. Moving through the familiar steps was calming. So was the continuous touch of Thrawn's hands. It was strange how fast she had gotten used to that. Yes, it was all professional, but damned if it wasn't very, _very_ nice as well. They were third to skate and stayed at the rink.

Ottlis was first, his new partner, whose name Arihnda could never remember, she wasn't sure why, anyway they looked good together. Blonde and blue-eyed as well, they looked almost like twins. Arihnda recognised the music, too. It was a horrible piece of jizz Ottlis had always wanted to dance to. And now he could. Because she was not his partner any longer holding him back. They scored a personal best for Ottlis. He had moved on and done so well.

They needed to score first or second place to participate at the Grand Final. It looked very good for them too. Arihnda sighed. This could have been her, if only she had – well. It was not her. She was here today with Thrawn. And if that wasn't moving on and up... She forced a smile. It was. Dammit, it was and she'd act like it.

Yes, people would prefer to see Thrawn dance with Natasi. Her fingers curled around the barrier. Maybe some of them also wanted to see her fail just so they could be right about how bad she was for Thrawn. Her knuckles turned white. Fuck them all.

She would have her revenge. She would make Thrawn look better than ever on the ice. She would do that, she would make him happy for fuck's sake. And then, then people should wag their tongues.

"Arihnda?" Thrawn sounded worried. "I've never seen you like this."

Arihnda held out her hand and shook her head slightly. "I'm fine." There was more of an angry hiss to it than she would have liked. "Let's go, our turn."

Thrawn pulled her into the now customary hug before the dance. "The time to seduce with Loth-rat pie is over, Ari. You can use your own personal charm now." His lips brushed her cheek. "You can envision it just fine, can you not?"

Arihnda took his face between her hands looking into his glowing eyes. Damn well she could. Damn her, if the details of such envisioning had tripped her often enough. "Don't ever take your eyes off me," she whispered.

Thrawn stood dumbstruck for a moment before her followed her to the ice. This was an aggressively different Arihnda Pryce. He couldn't take his eyes off her even if he had wanted to.

Arihnda was burning with anger. How dare they? How dare he? Was everybody going to tell her what to do? Well, fuck, them, she would just do whatever she wanted. They could laugh at her all they wanted. Instead of dragging Thrawn down, she would elevate him. Suck on that!

And if Thrawn thinks my personal charms are greater than the ones I created just for him? Fuck him too. She'd be that woman, the woman in his league that he had just annoyed the fuck out of and who would kick him all over the ice as if it was nothing. This lady did not care.

This woman was sure of herself, running her hands over Thrawn because she knew he was all hers anyway. The only one who could satisfy him, would could give him what he wanted. For once, the only woman in the galaxy who knew what Thrawn's love tasted like and could spit it out at will because there would always be more.

Arihnda snorted as she threw her head back. _They all want me, want to know the new me. But I am the one holding the reins, I will decided the pace and the limits. I am in charge._ She picked up Thrawn for the final lift. Her decision. Her Thrawn. Her life.

Thrawn slipped from her hold onto the ice, staring up with an unbelieving, grinning laugh.

Arihnda threw her head back once more. There. She could hold herself against anybody. Even if Kanan doubted it and Eli hated her. She was good. Maybe she had to lie to everybody including herself to be that good, but that was a sacrifice she'd just have to make.

Thrawn lead her to the couch where they waited for the points. Yularen talking all over her again. For Arihnda it was only water running by. A familiar sound, calming. Disappointed Yularen became all soft spoken like frozen silk. And Thrawn had an arm around her shoulder so things had gone well enough.

She allowed herself a small smile. She had done her best. The result didn't matter as much as that. She had done all she could and what was left was taking the path this opened before her.

From the corner of her eyes she saw that Thrawn was still looking at her. Maybe she should have told him that this was for during the routine only? A faint blush crept over her face when Arihnda realised that she liked it when he looked. Her smile reached her eyes and then her ears and toes.

"Didn't that feel great?" Thrawn whispered into her ear.

It was probably not the best of all times because the judges doled out the highest technical score ever at the same moment.

By the time Thrawn was done hugging Yularen and then her, which took significantly longer, Arihnda had found an acceptable answer that didn't divulge how her energy came from being just so angry and torn between slapping and fucking him silly. "I just hope that everybody watching would feel great."

Thrawn blinked and helped her up. "Of course they felt great. Anybody watching you like that just has to."

He was leaning again but this time Arihnda found herself leaning right back. "Glad you had the front seat for that then, huh?"

"Very much so."

Scared by her own courage, Arihnda wound out of his arm. What the hell was she doing? Apart from racking in another personal best, a score over 82, and inappropriately hitting on her skating partner. She took a deep breath. Two out of those three were perfectly fine.

"I'll stay and watch Kanan and Hera," she declared.

"Don't get a nosebleed," Thrawn advised.

Arihnda snorted. She understood why Kanan was very popular with the ladies but his explosive and very in-your-face appeal was not her taste. She preferred the parts of the routine where he was more subdued. Probably because Hera was having a few very intense moments just then. Arihnda wondered why those had never done a reverse lift before. Hera could probably bench-press Kanan.

As expected, their routine was beyond. Scant was no word to describe Kanan's outfit, though, naturally, most of the bare skin was just skin-coloured Spandex. Hera on the opposite was wearing a black three-piece suit imitation.

It was nice to just watch them. Arihnda forgot that she was involved in this whole circus and looking at it from outside, it was just very, very beautiful. Kanan lifted Hera out of his personal space, whirled her over the ice and still got caught up in a double pirouette.

They look amazing together and very happy. It was a perfect illusion usually. But those two, Arihnda was pretty sure they did have something going. Which refuted the 'don't fuck your partner' thing. Well. Arihnda didn't pursue that line of thought. Been there, tried that, embarrassed herself horribly, no repetition wanted.

To her surprise, Hera and Kanan only ranked second. She and Thrawn were in the pole position. Arihnda swallowed. That had never before happened. Well, yes on Lothal, but that had been local and they would have had to mess up horribly to lose against the locals. Especially Thrawn.

Ottlis was on fourth place. It filled Arihnda with schadenfreude though he might be able to salvage his position. But that was a problem for the next day. The day they had to defend their first place. Arihnda decided not to think about that as well.

It didn't work.

 

* * *

 

 

Being ranked first meant they would get to skate last. Arihnda disliked that. She had slept very badly, tossing and turning, getting entangled in the blankets. Caf hadn't helped as much as she had hoped. And there was only that many cups you could drink safely before a competition. Arihnda sighed and mussed up her own hair. Being pole position sucked.

Also, she had a whole day to waste before the skating resumed in the evening. She decided to call her parents. It was a good idea because they were so happy for her.

"You are in first place again!" Her mother cheered.

"Nobody can stop you now," her father chimed in. "I have already gotten estimates for the underwater pools in shaft 4."

"Dad!"

"You are the best!" He just continued. "We always knew. It's so good to see you finally know it as well."

It was comforting. It was unnerving. What if she wasn't as good as they believed after all? What if the day before had been a fluke? She sat staring at the dark comm. She had a whole day to fret about it. A whole, complete day. And then the other pairs would skate. Everybody would overtake them. Of course they would because two dances, however bad, translated in more points than one dance. Her head knew that. But still, with each time that happened, however inevitably, her pulse would speed up and she'd panic.

When Thrawn came to check on her, Arihnda had moved on to bouncing her forehead off the table. He straightened her and scrutinised her state. "Ari," he asked gently, "you haven't slept, have you?"

"I did!" Arihnda protested but back-paddled immediately. "A little bit. I think."

"This is no good." He pulled her upright and manoeuvred her to the bed. "Nap until the evening's event starts. It will be fine."

Getting pushed down on her bed by Thrawn had always played out very differently in her dreams. Arihnda was too perplexed to react though and before she could ask questions, he had her tucked in.

"I always slept until the last minute before competitions, too." Thrawn smiled.

Arihnda was ready to draw the line at him giving her a good-night kiss on the forehead. But she had miscalculated. The obnoxious figure skating champion took this as licence to sleep as well. Right where he was which was half on top of her once he settled.

This was not how things were done, Arihnda was quite sure of it. Not that Thrawn cared. He was already asleep, a carefree smile on his face.

Arihnda was grateful for the heavy blanket. She was overheating slowly, but the idea that there was nothing but their clothes between them. Well. Admittedly, she had about jumped his naked bones in her pyjamas once, but that didn't really count, did it?

Damn, he was getting heavy. Thrawn could at least have had the decency to lie down beside her. Like a normal – no wait. No normal person invited themselves into somebody's bed for a nap.

On the other hand it seemed very rude to wake Thrawn up. Looked like he was in need of some sleep as well. He was out like a log. And rather cute, to be honest. A lot less suave in his sleep, a lot more person-y. If her hands had not been caught under the thankfully heavy blanked, Arihnda had been tempted to run her fingers through his hair. Thrawn just looking like a person was new. He exuded such personality all the time.

Maybe this was not so bad. Arihnda closed her eyes. It was a very strange arrangement but he didn't seem to mind. An apart from his weight, which she was already getting used to, what could-

Arihnda tried to bolt upright but was hindered by a sleeping Thrawn who could not be woken by this upheaval. "Did you set an alarm?" She wanted to know, a little scared to shout so close to his ear. "Who will wake us? Thrawn?"

He deigned to open one eye. "Nap. It'll be fine." And that was that.

Arihnda took a deep breath. Thrawn knew what he was doing, right? He had said so himself. And in any case, wouldn't Yularen come looking for them? The image of their trainer finding them in this undignified heap made Arihnda blush painfully. But there was nothing she could do short of rolling Thrawn out of her bed. Now that was a thought that needed closer inspection by far.

In the end Yularen did not have to collect them. Thrawn woke like a clockwork with enough time for them to get ready. He looked very rested indeed. Arihnda hoped it would rub off.

"Were you unable to take a nap?" He asked looking her up and down.

Well. Arihnda took a deep breath and did not scream. He had been lying over her like an indecent shawl or a human buffet of temptation. Also no alarm. How did he even assume she had slept?

"Will just do no lifts during warm-up," Thrawn said. "If you screw up in training you worry too much to concentrate in the competition. You get nervous so easily."

Now that was a very late realisation. Arihnda was not sure how she made it through warm-up without kicking his shins. Her mood did not improve when, as expected one after another pair rose above them in ranking. Logic didn't help at all. Those were damned fine scores and she was not used to getting anywhere near them.

"You need to get away from this," Thrawn said and took her arm. "If you were younger, I'd understand why you are so affected by the other skater's scores."

They walked from the rink through the locker rooms into the service hallways. It helped a little. Still Arihnda winced when she heard the crowd cheer loudly. Who was this now? Ottlis. She bit her lip as the noise of the crowd rose again.

With a sudden, Thrawn clasped his hands over her ears. "Don't listen!" he said earnestly leaning forwards again.

For a stunned moment, Arihnda thought he'd kiss her, here and now, in the grimy service tunnels of Ryloth's ice rink. And it would have ben perfect.

But Thrawn just looked at her closely. "Why are you so nervous?"

Arihnda closed her eyes. The feeling of his palms against her face was overpowering. And she could feel his breath faintly on her face. It drowned out everything, even the crowd cheering for Ottlis; even her own heartbeat.

"How can I motivate you?" Thrawn mused. "What will it take to make you see…"

"Thrawn, shouldn't we get back?" Arihnda asked when he didn't pick up his musings after they had trailed off. "We have to be back in time."

Thrawn straightened and dropped his hands to her shoulders. "Arihnda. If we mess up the free dance and miss the podium, I will take full responsibility. I will resign as your partner."

There it was. Arihnda didn't even open her mouth for a reply. She had known. All the time she had known and everybody had been telling her she was seeing things. But here he was, taking his leave in the easiest way possible. Tears ran down her face but she didn't care. She had been right after all.

"Whoa." Thrawn said softly, and took a step backwards. He raised and hand as if to wipe at her tears, stopped himself and stood frozen like a very confused and unhappy statue. "I'm sorry, Ari. I wasn't being serious."

"Then why did you say it?" Arihnda got out.

"I thought-"

She didn't let him continue. "I am used to being blamed for my failures! But this time, I'm anxious because my mistakes would reflect on you, too! I've been wondering if you secretly want to quit!" She wiped an arm across her face. "All the time I just knew you'd back out of this somehow. It's okay. It really is. Just tell me. Just bloody well tell me." Arihnda almost shouted the last words.

"But I don't," Thrawn protested. "I really like skating with you. I don't want to quit."

"Then why-" Arihnda's voice broke and she took a rattling breath.

Thrawn stared at her. If only he'd do something, anything. But his mind was stalling. "I don't know what to do," he finally admitted. "Would kissing you now assure you of my wish to stay?"

Arihnda hugged herself forcefully. It was either that or punching Thrawn unconscious. "No!" She snapped. "Just, just have more faith in me than I do." She started crying again. It had the small positive that it made Thrawn even more uncomfortable. "You don't have to do anything. Just stand by me. Don't leave me!"

Thrawn didn't react for a long time. Arihnda was afraid she had broken him somehow. Finally he moved. Just one hand, rising to her face and very gently wiping away the trail of tears down her cheek.

"That's all?" The question wasn't even directed at her. His other hand rose, wiping away the tears on her other cheek. Then he held her face like that while his eyes searched for something they didn't find.

Arihnda snuffled, trying to avoid his eyes. It worked for some time but finally he caught her.

"I am not going anywhere," Thrawn said softly. "Not unless you tell me to."

Silence descended. Arihnda felt bad for breaking it in the end, but they really had to get back. If they didn't show up, they would be disqualified. It was probably the only way they'd end up last in the day's event.

It was an awkward walk back, side by side but still far apart. Each buried in their own thoughts. They embraced each other unthinking before the routine. A small ritual that had taken hold.

Arihnda actually felt better after crying. It had been a harrowing experience but seeing Thrawn so helpless faced with the consequences of his actions. It had been satisfying. Well deserved for such an unfair move. Arihnda got what he had been trying to do but this, this was unacceptable.

A smile crept onto her face. She was no stranger to crying after a competition. But this was the first time she had actually cried before hitting the ice. _Maybe it didn't matter,_ she thought. _Maybe nothing matters. Thrawn is an idiot, really. My insecurities are nothing new. And he's just the same, just with a better facade._

She could feel his breath on her skin when they were close, a flutter of words on them but too faint. For a moment she thought he was mouthing the words as they went. But Arihnda discarded the idea. She just danced. If nothing mattered, this could be everything there was. The tease, the chase, pie in the sky he could never have.

His voice whispered at her ears again. Words she knew, not the lyrics to their routine. Arihnda was sure she was imagining things. But if nothing mattered, she might as well fall and not be caught. But Thrawn caught her. Each time his hands were there to keep her from scraping over the ice, pulling her back up into his firm grip.

And his words repeated, when she leant back in the curve lift so far she could almost touch their foreheads.

_I am sorry._

He lifted her one last time, cradling her close before straitening her. Arihnda yielded to every motion, accepting one last apology as Thrawn bent her backwards into their final position. Keeping his glowing eyes intent on hers, he ended the routine with a kiss on her forehead that made her inexplicably angry.

It was an apology, Arihnda knew that. And that was right and good. And still. Something was very off about it. But she had no time to think about that as they accepted the loud cheers from the audience. Arihnda blushed. She was used to the polite applause professional skaters got, but this was something else. They had actually touched the crowd and taken them along on their journey.

She sat down beside Thrawn with a happy smile. Maybe she was not good at ice dancing in the way judges rated. But she was definitely good at making the audience happy. Which left only herself as not quite happy. She glanced at Thrawn who avoided her eyes.

Arihnda didn't get it. On the one hand he made a big thing out of apologising, and in a place where she couldn't run either. So she had accepted his apology, had she not? She had sure not whacked him over the head or kicked him in the nethers for his efforts. Not that it hadn't been a close thing. That last kiss! That had been, it had been-

Arihnda inhaled sharply, glad for their score being announced that very second. That kiss should have been on the mouth. That was it. He had been all touchy-feely with her and then, when it mattered, Thrawn had caved. The fuck if she knew why. She looked at him again.

This time Thrawn returned it, but in the professional way that told her, second place was acceptable. Kanan and Hera were good after all. And they still could make it to Coruscant. He took her hand and squeezed it. That was alright.

But he _should_ have kissed her on the mouth.


	8. Thrawn PoV! The Horror!! The Mandalore Cup

The north of Mandalore was bloody cold and Arihnda did obviously not appreciate it. She had wrapped herself in more layers of clothing than Thrawn had thought humanly possible. Telling her that she looked like and disgruntled, if adorable, Hutt in a thermo-suit did not help. Arihnda murmured something about his home planet being a glorified ice cube, pulled her hood a little further down, and stormed towards the hotel.

He saw Sabine and Eli veer off discretely, meeting with their families. Eli's family had usually been around during competitions in his junior career. Thrawn had seen them more often than his own. Sabine was embraced by a young man that had to be her brother. Thrawn turned away and followed Arihnda to the hotel.

Maybe Arihnda should have asked her family to come as well. It probably hadn't even occurred to her. They were a very strange bunch. A family like hers, supportive and loving, backing her up every step along the way. And she hadn't even seen it. Confused support with pressure, love with expectation. But she was improving. Whatever had gone wrong, it was not too late to fix.

Thrawn wondered what had gone wrong in Arihnda's life to twist her like that. He made his way through the reporters absently blocking any questions about his future plans. It was better than admitting her really didn't have any. Arihnda was stubborn to a t and there might be a chance he could not convince her that this didn't have to be her last season.

Thrawn did not like the thought so he avoided it. It would not come to pass. That he had decided and he would make it so. He was after all a famed ice dancing champion, her celebrity crush, and by now something like a close friend.

The thought tasted strange. This had not been the goal. Apart from getting an easily available and easily flustered new partner, Arihnda had clearly been struck with him. And yet here he was, possibly no step further to getting down and dirty with her than he had on the first day when he had believed that rising naked and inviting from a pool was all it would take.

So much for that. Thrawn chuckled. Her face had been priceless. Horrified, excited, overwhelmed. And regardless of her actual reaction, her infra-red signature had proven him to be right.

It kept proving him right; that woman lit up like a Christmas tree in his vicinity. At first he had thought she was playing hard to get but she was sincere. Stupid but sincere. Arihnda Pryce was made up from conflicting pieces and unfortunately, the pieces that wanted to bang him did not have the upper hand.

Thrawn had taken quarter in her very home, certain that this would dissolve her reluctance quickly. Instead her family had adopted him, no questions asked. Something Arihnda didn't understand or knew how to handle. Something he was not willing to give up again.

And Arihnda? He gazed over the heads of the reporters. Still a mystery. Though by now one that seemed to actually like him. Thrawn wasn't sure what to do now she had let him into her heart, instead of her pussy.

He saw her board an elevator with Eli and decided to stay behind. That rivalry between the two of them needed to be fixed and brought down to an acceptable level. Not that either was showing open signs of hostility. There was only the hard glint in Eli's eye when he saw his competitor.

Eli had always been ambitious, too ambitious and maybe Thrawn shouldn't have encouraged him. But Eli was good and with Sabine he had a partner that would not back down before his silent determination. They had to place first or second to make it to the final. Thrawn had no doubt they would make it. On second place, because gold was reserved from him and Arihnda.

They had a comfortable lead on the field anyway and only had to come in fourth to qualify for the Grand Prix Finale. Something that had a stronger calming effect on Arihnda than expected. She glanced around the rink, taking in the audience and competition.

Unlike Ryloth, she didn't know any of the skaters here much. It was a difficult difference to spot, considering how Arihnda tended to treat even the skaters she did know like strangers. Infamous and inexplicable as ever.

After the warm up, Arihnda put on headphones, tuning out. It was a good idea. The audience was cheering hard and not for them. That made her so nervous and blanking it out was a good plan. Also, she was nodding with the rhythm, looking rather cute in a dorky, unworried way. It was a becoming look on her.

Getting her out of the self-imposed bubble without startling her was a challenge. Small things could shake her. Checking on the laces of her skates used to do the trick. Now Arihnda only smiled, sometimes her hand dropped to his head in an unguarded moment, ruffling through his hair. But not today when they were in public. Despite her relaxed looks, she was taut like a wound spring.

The crowd cheered even before they entered the rink. It didn't seem to intimidate her as she took in the rows upon rows of full seats. Maybe she was growing.

With a sudden, Arihnda grabbed his tie, pulling him close. Their faces were almost close enough to kiss. The temptation was there but she was talking already, with a grim smile on her face. "The performance has already begun."

She pushed off, taking to the ice.

Thrawn followed, pulling her into their traditional hug. "You're right."

Her smile plays against his cheek. "Let's show them all."

There was a moment just before she skated into position where he was sure she would kiss him. Finally. But no. Whatever was going on inside her head was not making sense. Which was a little annoying and somehow exciting. Thrawn was good reading people and Arihnda was an open book. Admittedly one that had been written by several authors that had not been on speaking terms with each other.

Take this routine. Thrawn had considered it a good idea to give Arihnda rein over the short dance. She could express what she wanted and he would have a great lever. Unfortunately, she had created this. He had been a little too close to explode in a frustrated huff. But she was dead serious about it.

Admittedly, the whole thing was a hoot. The song haunted his sleep, it's horrible melody impossible to shake. The choreography was ridiculous at times. And yes, it was a hilarious contrast to the routines he had done with Natasi. But how could she unironically give him this? How could she note realise one tiny little bit that it was exactly what she was getting already?

It was frustrating.

At least, he got to have his hands all over her once more. Something Arihnda had no problem with in professional context, but once he made an advance off the ice the woman blue-screened while distinct parts of her overheated and then she ran. But on the ice -

Thrawn put his arm around her shoulders, running a hand through her hair. It all felt very natural. As was her smile reaching back at him. He knew her performance smile, he had seen it often enough to know the difference. So where did this Arihnda go to when they left the ice? Not that it mattered for the next two minutes where she was all his.

But as usual the time was over too fast. Thrawn lay on the ice looking up at the woman that had unexpectedly turned his life upside down. She was positively glowing. It was easily another personal best for her and slowly they were approaching scores Thrawn was more used to.

He stood up, taking her hand to lead her off the ice. Her warm smiled froze and fell almost as soon as they left the ice, replaced by Arihnda's grin of trying valiantly. Her fingers tightened around his as if, given the chance, he would let go of her now. Which he would most definitely not.

They waited for the score. Thrawn made sure to look at her ever so often, even if Arihnda kept her eyes carefully averted. She lit up once more at another personal best. Thrawn shook his head slightly. When would she understand that with him, she was unstoppable on the ice? Not that she needed him to be amazing, but that was a realisation she had to have on her own. Holding on to her hand, Thrawn was in no hurry to tell her.

As expected they made pole position easily. Thrawn turned and kissed her temple. That stopped her short, but when Arihnda turned to look at him, undirected anger shone on her face. Something had gone wrong once again. Thrawn wondered how long it would take to figure her out.

He grinned. He had time. It was fun. He would get there. Until then a few more daggers from her eyes to his heart wouldn't matter. Arihnda had stopped running. Now, if she only would accept the truth of her own desires, they would all be a step further.

Instead she did anything to avoid that. Like just now where she was, Thrawn squinted slightly, yes encouraging Eli and Sabine on their way to the ice. As expected, Eli's reply was suppressed annoyance whereas Sabine looked mostly confused. Arihnda was indeed changing.

"So," Thrawn draped an arm around her shoulder leaning down to inhale the scent of her hair. "How do you plan to celebrate your first gold medal in a Grand Prix event? Also, you might want to think me."

"Wha-?" Arihnda turned to look at him in surprise that gave way to embarrassed anger when she turned his word into a thinly veiled suggestion. "Mitth'raw'nuruodo! I have absolute no idea-"

"How to party?" He raised a brow and grinned.

She pried his arm off and pushed him away a little. "Actually, I do." The attempt at dignity was endearing. "But you wouldn't know that, of course."

"Will you show me?!" he leant closer again. "Show me the Arihnda Pryce party animal everybody is talking about?"

Arihnda huffed. "You wish."

""Yes." Thrawn was tired of pressing the issue. "But since you insist of keeping the fun part of yourself to yourself…"

"I-" She was torn between being mad at him and something else.

Thrawn shrugged. "Whenever you're read. I'll be with the party people."

Not that there was a party that evening. The free dance was on tomorrow and everybody was conscious of their food and drinking habits. Still a little while away from Arihnda was helping him stay calm. How could she skate so close, literally and metaphorically, all the time without realising?

 

* * *

  


Warm up for the free dance was as uneventful as it could be. If Arihnda was unusually quite. Thrawn wondered if she was still angry about the party discussion. Maybe he shouldn't have brought it up. But she had not even gone close to it in all those weeks.

They were going second to last. Arihnda took up position at the barrier, watching the other couples. Her calm was unreal compared to the frenzy their last pole position had thrown her into.

"Not worried?" Thrawn leant against the barrier beside her, hands resting lightly on its polished wood.

"No." To his surprise, Arihnda scooted a little closer, toughing her side against his.

"Because coming fourth is not that much of a challenge?" Thrawn leant against her.

"No." She stared at her hands intently. "Because you're with me."

Thrawn put an arm around her shoulders. "I am, Ari. Whether you party with me or no. I am with you."

"Oh. Good." Arihnda rested her head against his shoulder. "Because I really don't-"

"Shh," he cut her off with a chuckle. "It's okay. We'll party on the ice and take everybody's breath away. Sound good?"

She nodded, her face scraping against the cloth of his costume.

Finally, it was their turn. Thrawn took Arihnda's hand and led her onto the ice. Looking at her over his shoulder it occurred to him that she might have no idea how to articulate herself in words or even off the ice. He smiled to himself. Now that was a problem he could solve.

He hugged her tightly before getting into position following the trails of warmth following the hug seeping through her body. With the first notes of music, he turned the predator mode on. He was meant to pursue her relentlessly through the first part of the routine. For once, he would actually go ahead and push the limits, almost reaching to the rise of her breast, almost touching his lips to her sink. Always almost.

Arihnda reacted with more forceful rejections. Thrawn let her break free, dragging her back into another embrace, his fingers digging a little deeper than necessary, his breath caressing her skin wherever she turned. Not exhaling with her crotch almost exposed against his face was hard. But it was likely to lead to injury. The aim was also not to embarrass Arihnda in public.

When he set her down after all stages of that lift, she skated away, eyes bright, wary, intense. Her whole body way aglow, most of it in bright orange and yellow, the rest in blazing white. Thrawn took in the view for a moment, catching the falling flame for the intro to the second half.

Arihnda was burning. All she needed was to realise that the outlet on the ice was no different at all from off the ice. He almost kissed her before raising her gently from behind. It had to be possible to make Arihnda realise this. He had another two minutes.

It had been a merely technical decision first, making a softer second part that would take less stamina to get through. Something to let the first part dwindle down while still having appeal and rake in points. Arihnda's reaction to it, combined with her reaction to him, gave it a whole new dimension.

When she finally reached out for him it caused a tingle running up his fingers running down her arms. She leant on him, testing not trusting yet until they paralleled and he supported her pirouette the step sequence at the end of which Arihnda actually pulled him close. So what then?

Whatever step he had tried next failed. More support, letting her go, doing nothing. All she did was, well yield; yield to something that was earnest and honest instead of a fancy idea for easy fun times. A change he had accepted and she had noted. If she had ever noticed his initial plan.

It showed in her falls now, falling fearless in the knowledge that she was safe, that he would not let her down. But once caught – the same dilemma. And yet she returned time and again, yielding right up to the very point. What was the use in going through all this, offering herself up that way when-

Offering.

Thrawn looked at Arihnda stretched out over his knee, allowing him to raise her close to his chest, allowing the closeness. Offering. Waiting for the response to her unspoken question. Thrawn pulled her a little tighter than was necessary in their last turn. Of course he could wait till the banthas came home for her to ask a question if she _was_ the question.

This wasn't about her waiting for him to cross some line and take what he wanted; it was about accepting what was offered. And that was what her anger was all about. Thrawn put his hand around her neck gently. It wasn't about a boundary he hadn't crossed but an offer not taken. Everything suddenly made sense. An offer not taken, an offer rejected, time and again. Thrawn tightened his hold on Arihnda almost beyond usefulness.

When he gently tilted her head backwards, Arihnda's blue eyes were engulfing. Thrawn held his breath and did not move until he was sure he could straighten. If he gave in now, kissed that blaze of a woman, they would not make it off the ice. They would likely be removed for indecent exposure and lose any chance at competing at the Grand Prix Finale as well.

She would never forgive him. Thrawn smiled, taking her hand. There it was again, that anger; another layer of fire on her small form. But this time he knew where that came from. There was a solution at hand if not applicable right now.

He didn't let go of her until the points were announced. They held the pole position with only one competitor to follow. Thrawn made a point of hugging her tightly.

"Thank you." his lips grazed her ear and he relished in the shudder running through her body. He had her now and he damned well would take her up on her offer. All in due time. First they had to receive their medals.

Arihnda was almost bouncing at his side. Her first Grand Prix gold medal put her in an extremely good mood. It was also a very excited one. Thrawn put an arm around her waist, pulling her into a pose that would look somewhat professional.

"Smile for the cameras," he murmured into her ear. "Your mum will want at least one of these for her shrine."

"Thank you." She turned her head, almost brushing her lips against his. Taken aback, Arihnda still grinned from ear to ear and for a moment Thrawn wasn't sure if she'd kiss him there and then. But once again the final decision was left to him, to accept what was offered.

The flash-lights bathes them in staccato rainbow as she pressed against his side. She was still there during the interviews and Yularen's traditional lecture on where they went wrong throughout the routine. Something made easier to bear by the gold hanging around their necks.

At one point, Arihnda stepped forwards and embraced Yularen, standing on tiptoe. The old trainer patted her back surprise written all over his face. But he did stop talking. And he did not stop her from wandering off when she let go of him again.

"What was that?" Yularen asked Thrawn.

"Thank you, I guess?" He looked at his long time trainer. "One that was definitely due, too. So let me join her. You did exceptional work this season."

Yularen harrumphed but didn't object. Getting Arihnda Pryce into top form had been a piece of work for sure. But that was just the way she was – a piece of work.

Arihnda was on her very own quest to hug everybody who had participated. Most skaters returned the gesture even if they did not qualify for the finale. Eli was squirming until he just yielded, patting Arihnda on the back hopelessly. Sabine was just waiting for it to be over.

Thrawn smiled as he watched Arihnda make her round. This was the woman he knew and had hoped to see more often.

Arihnda returned, putting her arms around him and just stayed where she was. Thrawn closed his arms around her carefully. She might want to bolt at the last second. She did not. She felt good against him, shaped just to have maximum impact with the small body.

Thrawn leant down a little. "I've been thinking about what I can do to help you get over those last kinks."

"Me too." Her voice vanished against his chest. Then she burrowed her face against him, almost as if she didn't want to be heard. "You'll be my partner until I retire. OK?"

That was not what Thrawn had in mind. He kissed the top of her head. "I was thinking more of a private training session, no watchers, no pressure, just us. But I will take this instead because it almost sounded like a proposal."

Arihnda squirmed in his hold without actually trying to break free. He could see the embarrassment of her face slowly seeping into his shirt.

"That's not. I mean. Yeah, I think a private session would be a good start." She fell still again.

"Then that is what we will do." Thrawn murmured. "Also, I wish you'll never retire."

He had said is very softly on purpose. But by the way Arihnda stiffened, she had heard him. Thrawn smiled.


	9. Finally Doing the Do! Thrawn and Ari get it ON!!!!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is pure smut. You won't miss anyhting plotwise skipping it. Just an in-depth explanation of why Ari and Thrawn are being a lot more - relaxed around each other. ;)

Private training sounded like an excellent plan. The competition on Mandalore had been amazing but somewhat strange. Arihnda still felt tension in he body. It wasn't the fear of failure alone any more though. Yes, one wrong step, one missed move and the dream was over. But that was not the undercurrent of the tensions. Some time alone on the ice felt just right to get to the source of them.

"I thought you would be more relaxed without anybody watching," Thrawn explained as they entered the rink. Juahir had given them the key as she and her family were on a family outing overnight.

"But of course you can use it anytime." Juahir was still giddy with unpacking all the trinkets Arihnda had collected. "Just make sure you lock up behind you."

The rink was lit only dimly; they were the only living souls in the building. Arihnda put her skates on, not sure if this was a good idea. It certainly felt more private, more intimate. On the other hand, the idea of spending some one-on-one time with Thrawn, no matter the circumstances pulled at a deep, almost painful longing inside her.

Thrawn smiled as he pulled her into their customary hug before the routine. But he lingered longer, bowed down enough to kiss the crook of her neck.

Arihnda let out a surprised gasp, stretching with his lips slowly rising along her skin.

Thrawn stepped onto the ice and held out his hand. His eyes promised anything but ice dancing.

With her heart tumbling over itself, Arihnda followed. She took the offered hand, squeezing it as they took up their positions. It felt like betrayal to turn around, look away from that intent gaze burning through her costume and skin like real fire. Arihnda shivered, catching those burning eyes before Thrawn caught her. His arm wrapped around her middle safe as always, but his free hand wandered up her thigh higher than ever.

For a second his fingertips almost grazed her before Thrawn adjusted his grip to move her safely around him, raising her up. Arihnda looked down, the red engulfing her as certain as his arms did. Thrawn lowered her slowly, more slowly than the music would have allowed for.

Arihnda felt his body against hers, hungry, controlled, his hands firm against her back and not moving her into their next position. Arihnda inhaled one desperate mast time, closing her eyes as she slipped into a gentle kiss. Her arms tightened around Thrawn, any next move forgotten against the soft pressure of his lips.

This, this was what he should have done at Lessu. They might not have gotten off the ice before being disqualified for indecent exposure but this- Arihnda moaned into his mouth, savouring the taste of his tongue.

When they finally broke apart, Thrawn had to set her back down onto the ice without the remainder of the lift. His eyes glowed bright in the dim light, radiant enough to light up her most protected self. She swallowed hard, licking the last of his taste from her lips before she turned her back to him. They were here to practice, after all. Though their routine might not be the actual subject of the lesson.

Thrawn ran his hands down her arms, his thumbs rubbing against her skin harder than usual. Then he kissed her neck again, getting out of the way of her swift movements just in time. Her shoulders tingled. His hands burnt fierce patterns onto her skin and when he lifted her from behind for the first short lift, Arihnda felt his lips on her back. Once, twice, three times before he put her down on the ice again.

Encouraged, Arihnda slid her hand down the inside of his thigh lower than ever, moving way closer to his crotch than was decent, too. The tightening grip on her arm, make her smile, letting her wayward hand stray almost into tempting territory without actually touching anything improper. Almost.

It was a miracle that they got through the following twizzles and pirouette. When Thrawn took her hand cupping the back of her head shortly, Arihnda leant in again, claiming another kiss. Shorter this time, ferocious, sucking up his surprise and yielding hungrily before returning to the routine proper.

Thrawn reciprocated by planting another line of h´kisses down her spine, fingers buried deep in her flesh. Then she turned to face him again, and his lips were upon hers before she could think of doing the very same thing.

They were almost out of speed for the butterfly lifts. Not that it mattered, as Thrawn had his hand placed way too high for innocence but way too low for satisfaction. Breathing heavily, Arihnda skated through a few steps useless for further instigation. If they had not been skating, she was certain to have run off right at the start.

Kissing Thrawn was unthinkable, the one thing she wanted scaring and serenading her at the same time, This – this was so much more. And his taste lingered, as did his hands, touching her body deftly, not staying within proper confines and making her gasp every so often by almost running up the curve of her breast.

Arihnda let herself be whirled around, completely at his discretion, safe in the knowledge that he would raise her again. Would wrap his arm around her waist, would put another kiss down on her back. And when they face each other again there was no doubt, no hesitation. Arihnda leant towards him received as eagerly as she moved.

It was not meant as a kiss in the routine but who cared? He tasted of suppressed hunger, of all her desires rolled into one urgent longing. Arihnda pressed on, clinging to the feeling of their joined lips as if losing that would drown her. The fire of his eyes sure did, soaking her in burning red.

Arihnda gave up on the routine's details, letting her hands explore whatever parts of Thrawn were available. His muscles danced under her fingers, caught up in their shared dance. Being separated by choreography hurt, but they came together again inevitably.

Arihnda caught Thrawn's eyes once more, the fire in them brighter than ever. And with a smile he caught her jump, lifted her into the most indecent lift ever invented and –

Thrawn's breath was warm between her legs as he exhaled and with nobody around to see, Arihnda gave in, pushed her hips forwards the last inches into the warm stream of air. Her embarrassed sigh changed into a moan, when Thrawn did not object, did not pull back but pressed his mouth against her, teeth grazing her pussy through the Lycra. It was illicit, wrong, and completely delicious.

Arihnda tightened her grip, leant back just a little to raise her hips. The lift was all forgotten and by the way Thrawn dug his fingers into her, his mind was on something else as well. His teeth grazed down her labia, stopping short only to press into her before moving up again.

Something hard came up against Arihnda's back, the barrier. It supported her while Thrawn continued to eat her through the yielding cloth. It was rough, almost clumsy, but through the unwarranted and thick layer that did not matter.

Arihnda moaned, her pitch rising unexpectedly with Thrawn pressing hard against her. Through he Lycra his teeth were but gentle nudges. She rocked back and forth, eyes closed as she drowned herself in the feeling of his mouth over her cunt. Every now and then, Thrawn's tongue darted out, pressing as deeply into her as her costume allowed.

Arihnda groaned as his determination sent shocks through her whole body. Still the grazing was not quite enough, almost too much. The mix of feeling too little through her costume and having it magnified by the sheer pent up desire for him tore at her.

She pushed against him hard, expecting his tongue to move below the Lycra any moment. It did not. Instead he worked hard against the stretching material.

The fine weaving turned coarse against her excited clit. Arihnda exhaled in a strained wail, rising against his face until his hand reined her in, lowered her back to the sucking.

Her back pushed against the barrier in an attempt to take some of the tension. But it was vain. The tension building inside of her was nothing physical. Arihnda curled her hands into fists in Thrawn's hair, pulling undirected at the source of her strain.

Thrawn rolled with the motions, his mouth never dislodging. Instead it reached less explored parts of her pussy, transferring unrestrained teasing to skin unused to such attention. Arihnda moaned, tugging even harder, her hips slipping up against the insistent pull, eager to abrade the tip of her arousal.

Holding her tight, Thrawn delivered and her into a fiery ecstasy shaking her whole body. Arihnda almost choked on air, grinding and gasping with her hands buried deep in his hair. When she finally gave in to the orgasm, her whining breath came in short bursts, carrying broken words.

Thrawn didn't let go until his lips had massaged her out of the delirious pleasure into a more tender afterglow. Finally, he took hold of her hips and put her down on the ice again. Arihnda leant against the barrier heavily. When she looked up, the fire in his eyes glowed bright as ever. Thrawn was smiling, no hint of a smirk or leer, just smiling.

"We should do this more often," he said and held out his hand.

Arihnda took it, trying not to show how shaky she was on her legs. Her whole body felt soft and pliable. Quite the opposite to the erection that was still showing clearly though his costume. Oh dear. Oh. She licked her lips nervously. Definitely nervously. Her eyes flitted around.

"I think the second half of the routine is still up?" Thrawn squeezed her hand lightly.

She was not sure she could make a single step on the ice without her knees buckling but she hadn't enough brain activity left to refuse. After some protest, her knees acquiesced. It was less then prefect. Her step combinations shook, the pirouettes wobbled. Thrawn had dialled back on the inappropriate touching and kissing, still his fingers left burning trails on her body. And every time he pulled her close, Arihnda could feel the raging boner pressed against her.

The wetness between her legs turned into a cold reminder of what had transpired, each breath of air against it, grazing harder than it should. She yielded blindly when Thrawn leant in for another kiss, asking more than demanding.

Arihnda latched on to his smile, returning it with eager lips, ignoring the pulsing between her legs. She was unlikely to be that horny again already. Tricky, sneaky, lying body. But Thrawn tasted so good. She didn't let go happily for the curve lift. She was not sure how wise it was from Thrawn to breathe up against her butt so tangibly.

He muscles shuddered. When he slowly slipped her down along his body, she felt his erecting pushing against her, imagining for a fleeting moment how it would easily slip into her, filling the cold wetness with warm force.

Then she was back on the ice, the moment past like a fever dream, lingering and muddling her mind. Thrawn was so nonchalant about his state. Even worse was that he didn't seem inclined to do anything about it.

Then she was back on the ice, the moment past like a fever dream, lingering and muddling her mind. Thrawn was so nonchalant about his state.

Arihnda wasn't sure if she approved or not. The thought his cock inside her was tantalising. Her pussy begged to be filled, brought to another climax around deep penetration. Arihnda was so lost in her own head that the end of the routine came as a little surprise. It was as well that Thrawn held her. She would have fallen onto the ice otherwise, possibly melting a hole into it.

Arihnda looked up into Thrawn's glowing eyes knowing she had two options: wind out of his grip and end up unflatteringly on the ice or stay for the approaching kiss and end up on the ice anyway, but then involved in vigorous fucking. The intensity with which she wanted to jump his bones embarrassed Arihnda painfully. What did he have to think of her?

She scrambled, jerking out of his hold with more force than necessary as he just let her go. Arihnda scraped her knee on the ice when she caught her fall. It was an inopportune position, forcing her to look up at his face past the erection. Arihnda blinked repeatedly and tried to get her bearing back.

If Thrawn was disappointed by her reaction, he did not show. Instead he back a few steps with a bow. "I will see you tomorrow."

Arihnda fled the rink. Leaving half her things, she only pulled off the skates, fastened her shoes enough to run and bolted for home. This was most – everything. Without talking to anybody she locked herself into her room.

The memories were not shaken off so easily, though. They lingered like Thrawn's breath on her skin, trailed her mind in hot circles. Arihnda tried to calm down, but instead she tossed and turned on her bed. The feelings intensified, intruding with the same determination Thrawn had put up through her costume.

Arihnda covered herself with her hands. It was not protective. Even this simple defence only called upon his tongue and teeth wreaking maddening ecstasy. Maddening even now, as the memories preyed on her, instigating a re-enactment with one participant missing. The feeling of his erection pressed against her thigh came unbidden. She had left him like that. For shame. For unwarranted shame and false propriety.

It was a snap decision. But it was a decision.

Arihnda threw on her robe. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the corridor and walked up to his room. When she knocked there was no reply. Alright. She turned on her heels, striding towards the spa area. It was no perfect substitute for an embrace but it would have to do.

The spa lay dark and abandoned. Arihnda made her way to the extra hot outside pool. If memories was all she had, memories would have to do.

But they did not have to. Thrawn was soaking in the pool already, his head laid back and eyes closed. When he heard steps, he sat up and opened his eyes. "Arihnda, what are you doing here?"

In reply, she dropped her robe. Thrawn let out a satisfying gasp. Enough to give her the strength to take a first step into the pool. It was hot but her immersed foot was not burning as brightly as the rest of her.

Thrawn stood and took a step towards her. Arihnda was a little disappointed to see the erection gone, but what had she expected? That must have been painful to carry for as long as he had. And through the steam wafting up from the water, she imagined that his cock moved again already.

After the first step, he stopped himself and just watched her slow approach. When she was close enough to take it, he reached out with one hand.

Arihnda took it, trying her best to ignore the effect he was having on her nether regions. After all, that was exactly the reason she was here. Twining their fingers, she took a last step and pressed herself against him. His skin was cool compared to the hot water. The sensations mixed when Thrawn lifted his other hand from the water to embrace her.

Hot water ran over her skin, followed by fingers that were not was warm, but burning hotter, leaving lingering trails of fire. Arihnda pressed herself against his lean body, definitely feeling his cock move against her thigh. She inhaled deeply, running her own hands over his skin, dipping them into the hot water now and again. Thrawn shivered under the sensation of mingled temperatures as much as she had.

Arihnda sighed and put a few kisses on his chest before looking up. His lips claimed hers almost immediately, and she knew it would take quite a while before she would get back to any other part of him.

Not that it mattered. The taste of him was as exciting as she remembered. His tongue caressed hers, lips moving with gentle purpose. His fingers moved over her back, feeling their way along her muscles and down her spine, Arihnda sighed into the kiss not sure if it was meant to carry his name of a plea for more.

She followed his lead, moving deeper into the hot water. It lapped against her cold skin lime fire, running into the grooves Thrawn's fingers left on her sink. When they reached the far side, Thrawn sat down on the ledge, puling her onto his lap. Careful to to squeeze his budding erection in detrimental ways, Arihnda settled on him.

For a while, the simply entwined, kissing, touching, feeling skin on skin in gentle friction. Then Thrawn pushed her back, drowning her protest in a whine when his mouth closed over her left breast. Arihnda arched backwards into the sensation. For a moment the grazing sensation was everything, sizzling through her whole body with the touch of his tongue to her nipple, the soft sucking, his teeth carefully pulling at her hardening skin.

Moving eagerly against him, Arihnda still gasped when Thrawn cupped her right breast with one hand, wrapping his other around her hip and puller her closer so that his erection could unfold behind her. Arihnda's hands scraped down his back, coming back up to dig into his shoulders.

In response, Thrawn took her nipple between his teeth making her whine with the kind pressure. The feeling of his cock against her was slowly pushing through her arousal fogged mind. Pushing him back, Arihnda claimed another long kiss, draining his mouth of anything but her own taste.

She wriggled in his grasp, moving downwards slowly. Thrawn loosened his hold, groaning as her mouth descended his throat. Without the layers of his costume, Thrawn felt broader, the chest wider, more pace to explore, curves to kiss along. In a bout of inspired spite, Arihnda took revenge on his nipples, taking each jerk at her hair for a compliment.

Moving even further down she reached the soft skin of his belly, lapping at it with the waterline. Delighted with Thrawn's surprise when she dipped under the water line, gazing her lips over the tip of his cock, Arihnda got ahead of herself, taking a deep taste.

As Thrawn, his dick was mostly human. Arihnda slipped her lips down the head which felt longer, smoother, harder. Arihnda ran her tongue along the shallow groove around it. It shook in her mouth, shaking the whole of Thrawn with it. His fingers dug into her shoulders restlessly.

Arihnda had to come up for air. Her eyes searched his, finding nothing but bright fire. His fingers ran long her jawline, thumbs pressing against lips that had covered his cock but a moment ago. With a sly grin Arihnda broke free, lowering herself again until the water drowned out the world around her leaving nothing but her desire and the blue cock.

She sucked it in hungrily, aware of her desperate need and limited time. It was like engorging herself without sating the hunger. The pull between her legs became insistent, a deep yearning for what her mouth devoured.

The interludes were short because she had to hold her breath, but she milked them for all it was worth. Thrawn's fingers dug into her scalp, firmly holding on to her but not holding her down. When Arihnda came up for air once more Thrawn pulled her up high, sucking her into a deep kiss and pulling her close.

She descended slowly, feeling the surface of the water play against the excited skin between her legs before the tip of his cock touched her. Arihnda moaned into Thrawn's mouth, writhing as the water made the penetration a little scratchy.

In return, Thrawn cupped her ass with both hands, guiding her as he sucked on her lower lip. His cock slipped into her and any idea she held in her mind of how it would feel paled, withered, and vanished.

After all fantasising, it was just – more. Groaning, Arihnda pressed down over the hard intruder, rocking back and forth to feel it everywhere inside of her. Driving the cock into her softest depths, Arihnda moaned. Tension was building again, driving her to faster thrusts, yearning for release and yet desiring further arousal.

Thrawn jerked under her movements, attempts at restraint flying wide as he pushed into her. When Arihnda gasped in joy, he raised her a little, thrusting into her repeatedly at a similar angle. His head came forwards, lips searching for her breasts again.

When he found her nipples, Arihnda leant back with a throaty yell. Her hand grappled with his figure while her knees gave up all support, falling wide against Thrawn's tense thighs. When the next penetration went even deeper than before, Arihnda let her head loll to the side, yammering incoherently.

Thrawn caught her shoulders, half rising with his thrusts and captured her hard nipple between his teeth as he exalted in stark hisses. The air brushed over her skin like ice cubes, grazing and scraping. But it was not enough to take her mind from her pulsing pussy. Clamping around the heavy strokes, desire swept outwards from her cunt like radiation.

She whined as Thrawn increased his speed, holding out valiantly for yet another push, another piercing strike into her high-strung cunt. But the pace was too much. Arihnda tried to hold out, wailing as her body gave and shuddered into ecstasy.

Thrawn kept holding her tight, moving on, his erection ploughing into her orgasm as if to pint out inches that were not yet drenched in release. Arihnda rode him out, feeling the sudden thrust as Thrawn came, burying his face against her neck as they swayed in unison.

Arihnda cradles his head to her chest just as she tried to cradle the pulsing cock inside her glowing pussy. Beat for beat, aftershocks ran through her, propelling her up a little just lower herself on the abating erection, slipping the softening cock into her body again until it was so deep that once more she moved up as it touched against her insides.

Thrawn caressed her back, hands wandering flat and smooth while his breath caught on her collarbone ragged. Sucking cold air over her skin each time she fell, showering it with warm breath when she rose. The aftermath took forever.

In the end they sat still, entwined and breathing slow and heavy. Finally Arihnda got up. The eyes were not the only thing glowing about Thrawn as he sat in the hot water. She smiled. "We _should_ do that more often. "

Thrawn laughed, a growling, throaty sound dripping with satisfaction. His hands followed the curve of her ass. Arihnda held out a hand. He took it and followed her out of the pool.

"What are you doing?"Thrawn asked when she busied herself before picking up her towel.

"Oh, nothing." Arihnda put up the 'Cleaning Cycle On – Do Not Enter' sign. That would do. By the time anybody got up, the pool should be fine for use again.  When she was dine Arihnda took Thrawn's hand again. 

He did not resist  and they padded through the dark quite space in silence. and they padded through the dark quite space in silence.  The cold air on her flushed skin gave Arihnda goose bumps. An unrest the rest of he body mirrored,  unable to calm down with Thrawn walking beside her, humming with excited satisfaction. 

When the door closed behind them, Arihnda wondered if bringing him into her room had bee n a good idea.  There was a twinge shooting through her pussy again. She took a deep breath to ignore it and the insistent pule following after.

Thrawn hugged her from behind. He kissed the top of her head and undid the towel covering her. "Time to sleep?" 

His hands swept down her sides, coming up over her belly. Arihnda gasped when they closed around her breasts,  moving softly as if lost in memory . Closing her eyes she leant against the man behind her. Could one become horny again from a walk that short? Her pussy sent a  yearning pang through her body. Obviously one could.

"Maybe," she replied out of breath, putting her arms around Thrawn as well as she could  turning to look at him over her shoulder . His lips came down over hers and through his towel, Arihnda felt that one could indeed become horny again and so could two. She rubbed against the forming erection, relishing in the deep growls Thrawn dropped into her mouth.

One of his  hands dropped as well, gently slipping between her legs. The mere touch of his finger  against her clit made Arihnda's knees buckle. Holding on tightly to Thrawn she stayed upright. But he had other ideas, repeating his manoeuvre and dropping her over his finger.

It slipped into her easily. Arihnda wondered how she was so slick again  already , but the more pressing matter what  t o get that satisfying cock into her again. She pressed down over Thrawn's fingers, reaching for his  crotch with unsteady hands.

Thrawn was  almost hard again, his erection smooth under her hands, reacting with droplets of anticipation when she stoked it.

"Kneel for me," Thrawn whispered into her ear. He ushered her towards the bed, helping her to kneel down on it. Arihnda felt her ears burn with awkward embarrassment. But her pussy burnt hotter and when Thrawn ran his fingers long her labia, she whimpered. His hands moved over the curve of her ass with his thumbs grazing her cunt. 

Finally, he gripped her hips, pressing the tip of his cock against her pussy. The first thrust took an intense moment, Arihnda closed her eyes but her mouth betrayed her pleasure loudly. Thrawn pulled back, leaving her empty for a lonely moment before pushing his whole length into her again.

Arihnda  moved into his thrust, taking in his cock to the hilt and then pressing on. His fingers dug into her flesh, a pale mimicry of his determined strokes. For a while he fucked her like that,  pushing hard and fast into her  hungry motions.

Arihnda moaned, the feeling of unbridled ecstasy on the tip of her tongue again. "More." the word broke into a pathetic plea as it passed her lips. But it was heeded. Thrawn sped up his pace, moving faster and gaining an extra sliver of force by tilting his hips when his cock was buried deep inside her.

Arihnda clawed at her sheets, pressing her hips back in to his  hold to feel him scrape along her insides again and again. Her breath hitched, threatening to leave her breathless in the moment of ecstasy.

But  Thrawn reined himself in. The  suddenly slow intrusions felt all the more intense for it. He bowed down, hugging her from behind, fingers seeking her breasts and erect nipples  as he put his weight onto her . Without space to manoeuvre, Arihnda was reliant on his thrusts  which came short and deep.

Thrawn  barely retracted  any longer , moving inside of her,  raising her hips up with his pushes,  making  his dick  drive into at an intense angle. Still, the imminent orgasm abated and left Arihnda hungry and stretched. Thrawn's rhythm was painstakingly slow. Each move filled her to the last and yet was not enough, never enough.

Whimpering under him, Arihnda arched against his chest. Thrawn let go of one of her breasts, stroking her face instead. The steady throb of his cock became unbearable. Arihnda strained into it, whimpering in her need for release. 

His hand moved over the skin of her side, over the belly, teasing its way along her mons. When Arihnda squeaked,  Thrawn fucked her faster and her high pitched desire drove his fingers between her hot folds, massaging her clit  deftly .  Caught between his cock and hand, Arihnda writhed in tense arousal. Her body was taut with barely contained  ecstasy .

She could feel him come inside of her, hot and deep. But Thrawn kept going, ploughing into her slick pussy, jerky fingers, covering her clit, until everything that mattered was her own  orgasm . Arihnda screamed in release, her arms folded pressing her face into the sheets while her hips pressed up hard against Thrawn.

Lowered over he r like that, his cock moved inside her again. Arihnda moaned, rubbing her clit against his fingers, floating on waves of abating satisfaction. Finally her legs gave as well turning her into a shivering ball curled up under Thrawn's figure. His breath fell over he r ear, scenting the air she breathed.

After a while, they  moved again,  scram bling , to get into the bed  proper  with as little effort as possible. Thrawn pulled the blanket out form under them. He pulled Arihnda into an embrace before covering them both and dropped a list kiss onto the top of her head. Arihnda barely noticed, drifting off into sleep already, clinging tightly to his body.


	10. Gotta Supercharge It!! Pre-Grand Prix Final Special! (With Flash-Back!!!)

They spent the few remaining days training hard for the Grand Prix Final. Everybody else would try to up their scores a few crucial points. With Yularen at the rink, there were no more indecent escapades either. The man had a way to clear his throat in a clearly disapproving way.

Off the ice, now that was a completely different thing. Arihnda was not sure if it was night or day, if she was on the ice or off. The difference didn't matter any longer. Thrawn was with her always, at her side, hands on her skin, smile on his face. And yet she never got enough. Neither did he.

Arihnda started putting up pictures in her room again. Not so many, and all of them private, Thrawn and her training, Thrawn and her making faces in the mine, a rare moment with the two of them actually wearing swim wear in the pools.

It was a far cry from the shrine her mother had set up in an unfortunately prominent corner of the restaurant. It sported too many images of her and Thrawn on the ice, dried flowers, incense and the medals of the season. But Arihnda couldn't begrudge her mother who was so unabashedly proud of her only daughter.

Reporters had come and after asking Arihnda, her parents had given well-paid interviews about her past, showing everybody around the mines and spa. It brought even more customers. Her father was taking offers on the repurposing of shaft 5. The old control centre was to be repurposed into a second part of the Hotel.

"We will have pubic viewing," Talmoor beamed. "It's the Night of Gold. We will have gold leaf in the drinks, golden decorations everywhere and day's special is Winner's Pie." He chuckled happily. "That is actually just loth-rat pie but you mum will put gold leaf on the crust."

"That sounds amazing," Arihnda replied. "You have to save one for me."

"We will." He hugged her. "We will, love."

Leaving was surprisingly easy. Knowing that Juahir would be there for the competition helped. Knowing her parents cared and were proud helped. Knowing Thrawn was coming with her helped a lot. They held hands all the way to the space port and most of the time on the cruiser. Yularen stopped harrumphing eventually. He did no stop making them train as best as they could with only the cruiser's gym at hand.

Arihnda shared the gym gladly with Maketh and Kallus. A severe accident kept one of the qualified couples from attending, and the two had been happy to step in. Maketh was babbling like a waterfall when given the chance and Kallus was not averse to dumping the chatterbox on Arihnda now and then. It reminded Arihnda of her first time to participate in the Grand Prix Final, though it had not been her first time to Coruscant.

The journey was not long enough for a soft resetting of their inner clocks to Coruscant time, though. Arihnda decided to go straight to bed to be fit for the training on their last day before the Finale. Since it was only late afternoon, Thrawn was going to to have a swim and Maketh was adamant to drag Kallus all over any available sights.

It was strange, Arihnda didn't feel left out at all. She wished Maketh lots of fun and went to bed thinking about Thrawn in swim trunks. It was a pleasing image that sent her to sleep not that quickly due to obvious reasons. It was a fitful sleep too and soon she found herself awake again.

The hotel room was huge and felt empty. Dim light streamed through the darkened windows. It was meant to emulate a bright moon shining above. But Arihnda knew that the outside was bright with neon signs and display screens. Coruscant truly never slept. Curling up on her side, she wondered why she had to go ahead and proclaim to the world that she would win gold here with the power of love.

It sounded like a cheesy holovid. It _felt_ like a cheesy holovid, too. She pulled the pillow over her head. Arihnda still couldn't wrap her head around the reason why Thrawn thought that courting her, being with her, was a good idea. But he enjoyed every minute of it and neither was willing to give this up any time soon.

But did she really have to go out on this very thin limb of winning gold? Not that it felt all impossible, not with Thrawn as her partner. Arihnda's head began to swim. To distract herself, she picked up her comm. Maketh was flooding her with images from every sight she was at, always grinning happily, sometimes dragging a disgruntled Kallus into the frame.

Arihnda was still wondering whether to reply to the images and if so how, when the door suddenly flew open. Back-lit from the corridor, Thrawn and Kanan stood in it with chattering teeth.

"The weather control went haywire," Kanan complained. "He was just taking the best pictures of me ever for my holonet site when everything went cold!"

"Even the water," Thrawn agreed making a bee-line for the bed. Kanan followed, muttering about the impertinence of disrupting his photo shoot.

Soon Arihnda found herself swathed in icy cold men trying to steal her body warmth. "You're freezing!" She tried to pry them off, especially Kanan who had no business doing this. "Stop clinging to me. Go to Hera!"

"Both of us?" Thrawn asked innocently, putting a very cold hand on her belly.

"She'd kill me," Kanan objected.

"So will I, if you do not take your cold limbs away!" Arihnda grabbed the nearest pillow and whacked Kanan over the head with it. Though it did end the freeze attack, her actions only resulted in a pillow-fight. Finally Kanan left and she fell back onto her bed. "I was trying to sleep," Arihnda grumbled.

"I have a much better idea." Thrawn ran a by now warm hand along her arm.

Arihnda cracked open one eye and peered up at him. "What makes you think I will have any of that after what you just did?"

"Oh, I don't know." One of his hands wandered over her shoulder, along her face, his thumb caressing her cheekbone. "That glow in your eyes?"

She snorted but leant into his touch. "Let's say you do have something to make up for."

"Are you sure you are ready for my true repentance?" A sly smile stole over Thrawn's lips.

Instead of an answer, Arihnda tilted her head backwards, catching his thumb with her mouth.

  


* * *

  


As it turned out, true repentance was a little more exhausting than anticipated. Arihnda just turned over when their alarm rang and Thrawn almost had to roll her out of bed physically to make her get up. She grumbled the whole time as they got ready. The only reason she shut up during breakfast was that there was food and some things were just more important than others.

Open training was scheduled only for the morning. The afternoon and evening were reserved for the other disciplines. It was a little scary to see how much the others had improved their routines. Especially Maketh and Kallus were on fire.

"Do you worry?" Thrawn asked as they got back into position to practice the step sequence again. They had managed to cram a few more steps into it, aiming for higher points.

"Maybe," Arihnda admitted. "But so do they."

His smile was the best answer ever. Arihnda realised she had come quite some way since the start of the season. But so had he, in a very different field. He was a lot less encroaching and overbearing, less assuming and deciding for everybody. He was also a lot less perfectly amiable and had turned into something resembling a real person. It made him more interesting and a lot more likeable.

Of course, it forced Arihnda to put up with unexpected new situations. She sighed. "This is the third museum you dragged me into," she complained. "And you said-"

"They have restored the Feared and Fighter moss painting by Ob Khaddor!" Thrawn almost exclaimed. "It has been in careful regrowth and restoration the last three years. We cannot miss the opportunity to see it now. The moss is very fragile and will need extensive maintenance again very soon."

Thrawn's enthusiasm for art was adorable, if a little exhausting. Arihnda admitted that some of the art was pretty and she liked it in general, but Thrawn could stand transfixed in front of one piece for hours. Arihnda had left him standing looking at the whole museum once and had had a cafe before he noticed her absence.

But there were always museum shops and Arihnda accumulated bracelets and pendants. All of them modern art, all of them chosen by Thrawn, all of them paid for by him as well. "It is only fitting that a work of art as you are, is surrounded by art," he said, fastening a green-and-gold-bracelet on her left.

"You only like to have lots to take off," she teased.

"But I also take on a lot." His eyes flashed as he pressed a kiss into her palm. "Two stations down is the Core Sports museum. They have a special on ice dancing to go with the Grand Prix Final and the choice of non-human pieces is staggering. If we hurry-"

Arihnda stopped listening and just followed. The unbroken enthusiasm was cute and Thrawn could read her the phone book and she'd be happy. At least she understood something abut figure skating. Though she wondered of non-human pieces referred to the artists or the depicted. Ice skating Hutts. Now there was an idea...

As it turned out the non-human referred to the artists more than the depicted. For the first time, Arihnda wondered if there were ice skating leagues for non-humans as ell. She sure hadn't seen many of them in her time except a few Twi'lek. It felt rude to ask Thrawn though.

At least she knew a little about the subject of the exhibition, though the technical aspect didn't matter to Thrawn as much as expected. His focus lay on the artistic execution and differences in approach of the artists. Arihnda let him lecture and enjoyed his enthusiasm. Also the gift shop.

According to the importance of the upcoming event, the shop was humongous. Arihnda purchased as complete set of statuettes for display in Juahir's rink. Thrawn was unhappy with the diluted artistry of the pieces but what did he expect in souvenirs? He soon returned his attention back to bracelets.

Feeling rather bedangled already, Arihnda was more for charms. She had seen the most perfect matching pair: rings of almost white silver, shining like freshly polished ice with a single pale blue stone. They even had "ice skating forever" engraved inside. At least that's how Arihnda read the small stickers if ice skates applied around the forever.

"They are perfect." She tugged at Thrawn's sleeve. "I can just slip mine onto one of the bracelets and you-" she faltered. Several ideas rushed through her head not all of them g-rated.

"I'll find a way." His eyes displayed fireworks that did not help Arihnda's imagination into less juicy territory. "I'll just go and have the engraving finished."

"I hope it turns out good," Arihnda worried. "Those skates look tricky that tiny size."

Thrawn gave her a strange look but kept smiling. "I'll make sure it's perfect."

"But I'll pay," she insisted. "It's, uh, I can't I mean, I want to thank you for all your help until now. And I can't think of anything better. To. Give. You. Uh."

Thrawn leant down, kissing her softly. "It's perfect."

"Okay." Arihnda ran a relieved hand along his cheek. "Okay. Good." She watched him go to the engraving station. At least he was not offended that she had suggested wearing the same charm. Arihnda smiled. That was very good indeed. Now, if she would decide on which statuette to get her parents. She had to chose carefully. They were sure to put it up somewhere very visible.

By the time Thrawn returned, she had decided on a fragile looking sculpt of stylised ice dancers in elegant curves. She added the charms to the pile. The cashier ogled Thrawn in return. Arihnda couldn't blame him. Every inch of her partner was worth ogling. The bulky bags dangling a lot worse than her brand new bracelet collection. She fumbled with everything, trying to get a hand free enough to put her charm on a bracelet.

"There is no need to hurry," Thrawn assured her. "We can do that back at the hotel. You look," he gave her a once-over, "laden."

"If that is an excuse to get me back into bed again-," Arihnda began.

"It was more an attempt to free you of these bags," Thrawn interrupted her, taking a few of them off her hands. "But if you want to rest, by all means. You did agree to come to our big dinner tonight."

"I did," she agreed beat and began to walk.

"If you don't need rest," he caught up to her, "there is a museum for pre-space flight Mon Calamari art n the way to the restaurant we chose..."

Rest sounded very good with a sudden. Maybe curled up against Thrawn, basking in the matching charms. She had to decide which bracelet complemented it best. Arihnda was still undecided when they reached their hotel. But she could finally drop the bags with all the souvenirs. It was a relief and freed her hands to tackle the new charm.

She had to decide which bracelet complemented it best. Arihnda was still undecided when they reached their hotel. But she could finally drop the bags with all the souvenirs. It was a relief and freed her hands to tackle the new charms.

They were still perfect. The silver and blue shone like snow in a moonlit night. The engraving was a little longer than she had expected, but the skates were deliciously detailed for their size. There was five of them now, as Thrawn had added their names separated by skates before the forever. Arihnda stared at the writing for a while.

"It seemed more personal," Thrawn said into her thoughts.

"It is,"she agreed with a smile. "Almost a waste to hide it away inside."

"Next time we'll put it on the outside."

Next time. Arihnda liked the sound of that. She nodded. Then she began to sort through her bracelets, doing her best not to drop the charms in the process.

"Oh, Ari, why do you have to make things so complicated?" Thrawn captured her hand and gently held it still while he slipped the charm over her ring finger. After inspecting his work, Thrawn put a kiss onto her fingertips, obviously happy with the result.

Arihnda's mouth went dry and she swallowed hard. Well. She clutched the other charm in her fist. This was unexpectedly stupid, even for her. But Thrawn was practically beaming.

His hands were incredibly soft in hers, his slender fingers yielding to her touch. Her cheeks burnt as bright as his eyes, but she soldiered on. The ring fit him perfectly. It was a giddy moment full of embarrassment and happiness. Arihnda bounced on her toes, holding on to his hand excitedly.

"Perfect," Thrawn murmured softly, looking at her instead of the ring. Then he leant into a log, deep kiss.

  


* * *

  


They almost arrived late at the restaurant. Thrawn was adamant that it was the cab driver's fault who insisted on taking the couple the scenic route instead of direct. Arihnda had her money on the extended make-out session after they had put on the rings.

They were not the last to arrive though. Kallus tried to talk to Kanan and was quick to turn the happily chatting Maketh to Arihnda. Thrawn sat down beside her, finally letting go of her hand. It was strangely calming to feel his fingers playing with the ring.

Arihnda let Maketh's descriptions of all sights roll over her. Getting dragged into several museums by Thrawn suddenly sounded very relaxed in comparison. "You really tried to see it all in one afternoon."

"I don't know when I'll be back," Maketh said. "This year we slipped in on pure luck. Kallus says we can make it on our own next season, but then he also believes you and Thrawn will either go pro or retire. I mean, that's not going to happen, is it?"

"I don't know," Arihnda replied carefully. She definitely didn't see herself among the professionals. On the other hand she wasn't really ready to retire any longer. "I think it will depend on how the final goes."

"Everybody expects you to win," Maketh said. "Except for Kanan but he always sees himself winning anyway. And Eli of course. He's ambitious. It's his first season as amateur after all."

"I don't know," Arihnda replied. "Kanan's approach sounds sensible. Assume you will win. Everybody wants to win."

And everybody had something great on the line. Eli winning the Grand Prix in his first season; Kanan finally beating Thrawn; Thrawn winning despite a new and sub-par partner; Maketh and Kallus as underdogs. It made a great story no matter of who actually won.

"I like how we're still able to be friends," she finally said. "All this competition could surely turn vicious easily."

"But Kanan and Thrawn have been going head to head for seasons!" Maketh replied. "And they are good friends."

"Only by necessity," Kanan chimed in. "Nobody wants to be friends with a guy who takes all trophies from himself, never leaving and for his so-called fiends, huh Thrawn?"

"You did take the Hapes Consortium Cup."

"Because you didn't attend. What was it again? The Hapans didn't allow Natasi in because they feared she'd take over the whole place?"

"Some prince or other was to be her prize, if I remember correctly." Thrawn said thoughtfully. "I have no idea why they didn't change it to the crown princess. She was a piece and Natasi's type, too."

 

"I still think the Hapans just couldn't handle her," Kanan insisted. "Imagine her ruling a star cluster."

"She'd do well, especially if she didn't have to bother with the men." Thrawn shrugged.

"Anyway, that was one trophy," Kanan said. "That's not friend material."

"He will have to learn how to share now," Eli chimed in. "I won't hand him have all victories."

"Hand him?" Kanan started a vigorous argument with Eli.

Arihnda leant back, watching the conversation ebb and flow around the table. It was strange to think that she had missed all of this all those years and never even noticed.

"Still, it's kind of weird for us all to be here together like this before the Final starts," Arihnda mused. "At last year's Final, I was always by myself, even at the banquet. I couldn't even talk to Thrawn."

At her side, Thrawn snorted his drink through his nose. It was the most unlike him thing Arihnda had ever witnessed. "You don't remember?" He asked when had cleaned up.

"Remember what?" Arihnda asked.

Everybody fell silent. Looks were exchanged. Hera kicked Eli under the table. Maybe she should have kicked Kanan instead.

"Arihnda," he said, "you got drunk on champagne at the reception. Very drunk. You started dancing. Everybody saw it."

"I what?!" Arihnda squacked.

"Yeah," Eli agreed. "It was disgusting as hell. I was dragged into a dance-off. And then I got humiliated by you, too!"

"You wiped the floor with him," Hera added gleefully, before Arihnda could reply.

"His face when he took off his shirt, thinking you wouldn't", Sabine almost giggled. "And then you did and his face got so long, it went the whole Kessel run. And man, you sport some guns, Ari! I'm not surprised you can lift Thrawn, ego and all."

Arihnda was still trying to find words. She and Eli in a dance off? No shirts? Her head swam while her mouth was all dry and her heart began to race.

"It really was kinda fun," Kanan supplied helpfully. "I did mine on a pole, half-naked and upside down, taking my lead from you and Natasi."

He what? She what? Arihnda groped for Thrawn's hand. His fingers closed around hers reassuringly.

"You just wanted to prove you can do upside down splits as well as Ari does, Kanan," Hera went on.

"Well, he can't," Eli started another argument.

"Thrawn?" Arihnda asked softly.

"Oh, that's easy." He smiled. "I still have the vids. And they prove without a doubt that you do them better." He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Yes, the vids!" Kanan pulled out his comm. Then he stopped short. "You don't look so well, Ari."

"I, I," Arihnda stuttered. "I did what?"

Silence fell again.

"You mean, you don't remember?" Kanan asked.

"Oh, Ari!" Hera added.

"How can you?" Eli sounded angry and upset. "It was an embarrassing experience!"

Thrawn squeezed her hand again. "You remember nothing? Arihnda?" His voice was very soft.

She shook her head, eyes wide.

"You forgot this?" Maketh slowly pushed a comm into her field of vision helpfully. The young woman saw the vid for the first time, but was clearly impressed and entranced. "This is so dirty, Ari. And Natasi – wow."

It sure was rather x-rated what was happening on those poles. Arihnda blinked. Dimly, memories tried to break free from an alcohol induced haze.

Yes, there had definitely been a dance off with Eli. It had been fun and games, even if very drunk fun and games. Until Eli decided to go one up and ripped his shirt of, certain in his victory. She did remember his face now. Smug superiority she couldn't let stand.

And he didn't know Arihnda Pryce. She was not wearing blouse and trousers for no reasons. And a ripped shirt meant nothing if it secured her victory over that upstart. It had worked. And drunk on champagne and victory, she had made a bee-line for her next victim.

Thrawn.

The gall. But once plastered against him, her daring had wavered. Her eyes fell on Natasi, standing beside them. "I will fight her, yes?"

Daala snorted. "You think you can win?"

"Upside down," Arihnda hiccuped.

"Then pole it is." Natasi snapped her fingers at the nearest bystanders who bolted to fulfil her demand.

Arihnda had looked back up at Thrawn. She had been glued tightly to every inch of him, grinding embarrassingly and explicitly against his form. "You will be my partner next season if I win, right?"

When he had not replied, she had tugged at his lapels, repeating herself. Fortunately, or not, that was when the pole arrived and the dance off started. Natasi was liquid, flowing up the pole as if gravity happened to other people.

Gaping Arihnda had watched and wondered what she had gotten herself into. Not for long though because she had a dance off to win and a partner to impress. Also, it was ridiculously easy to synch with Natasi. No wonder Thrawn had held on to her through the seasons.

And Natasi has the softest skin, smelled amazing and moved like a snake. It was more a pair dance than dance off, Arihnda remembered dimly. What she did not remember was everybody watching. though it seemed likely. At one point they had indeed synced their splits heads down on the pole

They had done the couple pirouette with one leg sticking out, one arm clasped around the pole the other around the other's head, slowly spinning towards the ground. Yes, the others would definitely watch that. They had no idea what a horrible failure she was and in sync with Natasi everybody looked like a goddess.

Arihnda couldn't remember how the judging had gone. There were snippets of more dancing, most of them involving her plastered all over Thrawn, grinding pathetically and his hands supporting her in unexpected and exciting places.

She had to face it, they had practically banged on the dance floor with everybody watching. And she remembered none of it. Well, parts of it now. Arihnda buried her head in her hands.

She began to shake, looking at Thrawn pleading.

"If you'll excuse us," he said immediately, pulling her chair back. "I think Miss Pryce needs a moment."

"Or several," Eli snickered.

Arihnda didn't hear what the others said because of the blood rushing through her ears like a stormy ocean. She staggered at Thrawn's arm. The world was a shaky place without certainty. The careless slap on her bum by Kanan and his casual closeness suddenly didn't seem so off. At least not from his point of view.

But from hers? Arihnda didn't even know what to think any more. Thrawn pull escorted her into a quiet corner. There he handed her a glass of water, bless him. Arihnda downed its content in one go.

"You really did not remember?" His face was wavering between exasperation and terror.

Arihnda shook her head, looking dolefully at the empty glass. "I completely blacked out. Seeing the pictures, it brought parts of it back though."

"I must have seemed very intrusive," Thrawn said as he produced a bottle from behind his back, pouring her another glass.

Arihnda was tempted to empty it over her head. Her face war burning, her cheeks were on fire, her whole body was a burning mess. In the end she just gulp down the water again, pushing the glass back at Thrawn. "You were."

"But?" He gestured expectantly. Then he saw the empty glass and filled it once more.

"But?" Arihnda sighed. "You were still Mitth'fucking'raw'nuruodo. I had no idea what it could be that got you so interested in me but," she played with her glass. "You have been my idol for years Thrawn. Owning your attention like that was all I ever wanted, I could not wrap my head around it but by the stars I wanted it more than anything. Wanted it to be true." The last words were barely a whisper.

"It is true," he replied softly. "You are an amazing woman, Arihnda. Exceptionally strange, exasperating and inexplicable but amazing." He ran his fingers down the side of her face. "You don't need me to tell you that."

Now that was a can of worms Arihnda decided to open another day. Because she most definitely needed him to tell her. Needed his very presence in her home to show that the love and affection she felt there was not a lie, was not conditional, was true as well.

"But you will tell me, yes?"

Thrawn chuckled. "Not here and now, no. I will need more privacy to impress on you just how much."

That helped. She managed a smile. "So, last year. How bad-"

"Not bad," Thrawn interrupted her. He took her by both shoulders. "Not bad at all. You were–", he lifted one hand to touch her face, "on fire. A blazing storm of passion. Eli could not keep up with you so he tried to beat you by unfairly taking off his shirt. Ari, the others were not cheering because they could see you bra. Nobody cared about the bra when you were moving like that."

Arihnda closed her eyes and shook her head. His fingers pressed against her skin gently and he lifted her head to look at him again.

"Kanan Jarrus knew he could not keep up with you so he took off all his clothes but the pants to get an edge." Thrawn smiled. "You did us all a favour there. He is very shapely."

"And Hera…?" There was a deluge of doubts and fear assaulting Arihnda despite the calm words of Thrawn.

"She got what she deserved that evening." His smile turned into a smirk. "Several servings, I would say."

"So you thought-"

"Arihnda," Thrawn gently lifted her chin. "You were absolutely amazing that evening. And I knew that with me as your partner, you would be able to bring that raw passion onto the ice and win absolutely everything."

"Plus you'd get laid."

"That seemed an obvious extra," Thrawn smiled, his eyes flashing. "I must admit a certain confusion when it did not happen."

"Yeah, well, it didn't happen at the reception either."

"You were sky high," Thrawn said softly. "It was a miracle anybody could touch at all you that evening. When I touched you that evening it was miraculous." He ran his hands down her arms and took her hands into his. "If you hadn't been so completely wasted, there had been no way I would have let you get away unbanged."

"But I was drunk." It was a very small whisper.

"Very drunk," he confirmed.

"I am sorry."

"You are very alone with that."

"Why did you never say anything?" Arihnda wanted to know.

"How could I bring up you dry-humping me in public when suddenly you were overwhelmed just looking at me?" Thrawn asked back.

"But-"

"I thought you were playing hard to get. It' an obvious strategy." He smiled again. "But you were so sincere, so scared. It did not feel like a ploy. And after a while it didn't matter. You had your own pace and I knew I would find my crazy girl at the end of that somewhere."

"Maybe you should just have slamdunked me into another champagne fountain," Arihnda suggest.

"No." He was firm. "No. Things did not work the way I expected, but I got so much more than I expected."

Arihnda didn't say anything. Instead she leant against him, curling her fingers into the back of his shirt.

"So much more," he repeated in a whisper against her temple.

Arihnda took a ragged breath. It was obvious what she had gotten out of it. A perfect partner, an amazing season and incredible placings in the Grand Prix series. Plus Thrawn. So much Thrawn, like all of him all the time whatever she wanted, whatever she _needed_. It did not feel like a fair exchange.

But that was it, wasn't it? This wasn't an exchange at all. It was just – something. A thing where being her stupid self was enough for Thrawn. Just like that and there was nothing she could do about it. Nothing.

Arihnda rubbed her face against his shirt. And in return she got absolutely everything. The whole overbearing, encroaching, ridiculously overconfident package. She froze for the second she realised that Thrawn, also could do nothing about her liking him just the impossibly idiotic way he was.

She took a deep breath. She exhaled very carefully. It burnt all the way up to her eyes and down to her stomach.

She was hyperaware of his body pressed flush against hers, his arm around her shoulder, hand cupping the back of her head, lips against her temple, breath trickling down the side of her face. Arihnda took another careful breath. The world did not shatter. She did not fall apart.

So this was how it worked.

For while she just drifted. She was safe. Despite everything, all was well. The galaxy worked in a less mysterious way and life had a real chance of being actually good. Arihnda sighed content.

Of course it couldn't last forever. Thrawn's fingers began to play at the nape of her neck, his other hand slowly moving up and down her back. It felt very good. But it would be going a very wrong direction if not reined in and the others were still waiting. The others. Another wave of shame washed over her.

Arihnda leant back, only far enough to look at Thrawn. His contemplative mien turned into a smile when their eyes met. He leant down a little, breathing a kiss onto her forehead. That also helped. Still.

"The others..?" Arihnda couldn't finish the question.

"Will never let you live that down," Thrawn confirmed. "I am certain you comm is overflowing with messages from them containing all the images and vids they have."

Arihnda banged her forehead against his chest until he stopped her by holding her very, very close. "I don't think I can endure it for long."

"You won't have to," he assured her, fingers massaging her nape gently. "I will whisk you out of here in no time at all as soon as you wish."

"Thank you." Arihnda wasn't sure if he really heard it, with her face pressed into his chest again.

  


* * *

  


The table was quiet when they returned, silently expectant.

"Any remembering happening?" Kanan asked.

"A little." Arihnda sat down carefully. "It is all – hazy."

"I am not surprised," Eli said. "You were absolutely hammered. The only surprise is how you kept that control over your body."

"We will find out this year, won't we?" Sabine looked gleeful. "I invited Natasi to join us at the reception."

"You what?" Arihnda gulped.

"It's not a party until the two of you are upside down banging on poles," Sabine shrugged.

The blush started to return. Arihnda felt the air shorten, muscles tense as the world closed in.

"You must dance with me!" Maketh suddenly said forcefully. "Promise."

Arihnda looked at the young woman. There was something starry-eyed about her still. Something insider her softened and she managed a smile. "I will," Arihnda said softly. "I promise."

Maketh grinned broadly enough for two, a pink hue creeping over her face that was unable to hide her excitement. "I have seen the all vids now. They're so great! You're just so amazing! How do you do that when you are so drunk?"

Well, that was a good question. And one Arihnda wasn't ready to tackle just now. She glanced at her comm. It was indeed overflowing with messages. She would have all vids and images available to jog her memory...

"Oooooh, look! What is that?" Maketh snatched Arihnda's hand when she tried to pocket her comm unobtrusively. "It is so pretty. Where did you get it? Does he have one too?"

Obviously everybody knew who 'he' was as all eyes honed in on Thrawn's hands. He didn't even try to hide it, placing the ringed hand on top of his other before him on the table.

"It's not-" Arihnda began.

"They are indeed a matching pair," Thrawn confirmed at the same time.

"Did you get married?" Maketh squeed. "Was it secret? Did you run away from everything to a small chapel and -"

"They are obviously engagement rings," Thrawn stopped the young woman before her imagination ran away with her.

Arihnda felt her ears burn and the urge to maybe kill her newly betrothed and dispose of his parts in dark alleyways. Had he not made good progress in leaving behind his intrusive tendencies? This looked like square one all over again to her.

"We will get married when we win the Grand Prix Finale," Thrawn went on completely oblivious of his precarious status among the living. "As soon as I kiss the gold around Ari's neck, she will set the date."

He looked supremely happy with this arrangement and not one lick smug. It was what saved him from a severe public berating. But they _would_ talk about this. But for now everybody was babbling excitedly, leaving last year's reception forgotten. Another thing Arihnda was not sure whether she was grateful or angry about.

But for now it could wait If Thrawn was serious, she had the rest of her life to nag him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a Soundtrack of Ari being the heart of the party... [Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPc8116cHlE)


End file.
